The familiar sound (to me) of the Cal-Train heard in this sad NPR Story caught my ear on the way to work today. I used to live near and regularly cross the rail road intersection at the center of this story about a high school suicide "cluster" in Palo Alto, CA. PA is an upscale suburban community adjacent to Stanford University, and home to one of the best high schools in the SF Bay area.
The story led me to other research on the issue. It seems that the local parents have it right: research indicates that reducing the opportunities for suicide appears to be the most effective approach to reducing rates. Although screening for and treating depression, anxiety and mental illness are important, in most cases it appears suicide is a relatively spontaneous act and can be reduced by eliminating access to ready means. Other research shows that the nature of media coverage and responses to one suicide have an important role in preventing similar actions.
Among the bad news is important information that could provide life-saving guidance to school district plans and responses.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment