Suicide prevention | Psychology homework help

L8Instructions.docx

Suicide Prevention

Since 2000, the only high school in a wealthy, suburban, majority white, community with a population of less than 50,000 has lost 15 current or recent graduates to suicide. In addition, the community has experienced at least three suicide clusters. Mueller (2017) examined the role of the media, and her results have found that media stories are both producers and products of local culture. Additionally, she found that mental health problems were often hidden and seen as shameful. She concluded that the media was able to craft the story about why youth die by suicide in a direction that suited it. The media emphasized academic pressure as a motive for suicide, while at the same time downplaying other competing explanations for suicide, such as depression. The result of this was to strengthen the link of escaping the pressure of the community and suicide.

Rezaeian (2012) focuses his discussion on the two general types of suicide clusters proposed by Joiner (1999). The first is point clusters while the second is mass clusters. Point clusters are localized and involve cases that are clustered in both space and time within institutional settings such as schools or hospitals. Mass clusters fall under the influence of the media and occur following the publicizing of a fictional or actual suicide. The author reviews cluster prevention programs and concludes that the focus should be on identifying high-risk individuals such as close friends. Other high-risk individuals include those with previous history of suicide attempt, drug or alcohol abuse, and/or psychiatric problems. The focus should lead to direct preventive services to those susceptible individuals.

Robertson, et al. (2012) studied suicide clusters in New Zealand and determined that electronic communications technology played in a role in spreading information about the suicides throughout the community. The activity focused on people wanting to acknowledge the loss of a life. Because adolescents use social networking sites as well and text messaging to exchange information about the suicides with their peers, news of each death spread quickly and extended far beyond each school that was directly affected. Students would find out about a suicide before schools were able to initiate any intervention. This would result in rumors and speculation regarding the suicides. The rumors contributed to speculation as to the number of completed suicides, the methods that had been used, and the possibility of a suicide pact. This increased the number of posts and messages, which resulted in increased anxiety.

References

Joiner, T. E., Jr. (1999). The clustering and contagion of suicide. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(3), 89–92.

Mueller, A. S. (2017, May). Does the media matter to suicide? Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community. Social Science & Medicine, 180, 152-159.

Rezaeian, M. (2012). Suicide clusters: Introducing a novel type of categorization. Violence and Victims, 27(1), 125-132.

Robertson, L., Skegg, K., Poore, M., Williams, S., & Taylor, B. (2012). An adolescent suicide cluster and the possible role of electronic communication technology. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 33(4), 239-245.

Signature Assignment: Document the Foundations of a School Suicide Prevention Program

Scenario

Following the tragic suicide of a student, a rural school has asked for your assistance in developing interventions to prevent copycat suicides. You are concerned that focusing too much on the incident could inadvertently increase the risk of a contagion effect. To avoid this, you must research available information on copycat or cluster suicides.

Instructions

Compile a comprehensive report addressing the following components:

1. Research Summary and Guidelines:

Provide a summary of the research on the potential for suicide contagion to ensure that nothing the school does contributes to a suicide cluster.

Include a list of specific dos and don’ts for the school based on this research.

Emphasize evidence-based practices and ensure that each recommendation is directly tied to the research you’ve reviewed.

2. Press Release:

Draft a press release that carefully avoids any language or statements that might inadvertently encourage suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

3. Parent Letter:

Write a letter to the parents that includes:

An overview of the school’s concerns.

Information on suicide risk factors.

Suggested conversations parents can have with their children regarding this sensitive issue.

4. Student Outreach Plan:

Develop a strategy to encourage students who are feeling concerned or at risk to seek help. This could take the form of a poster, handout, or public announcement.

References: Support your assignment with at least five peer-reviewed articles. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included. Credible websites such as .org, .mil, .gov, and .edu are acceptable, however, cannot serve as primary sources to support this assignment.

Length: The total length of the report should be 10-12 pages, not including title and reference pages.

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

L8RequiredResources.docx

Required Resources

· Does the media matter to suicide? Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community

Mueller, A. S. (2017). Does the media matter to suicide?: Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community. Social Science & Medicine, 180, 152–159. This article explores the critical influence of media reporting on suicide contagion. Mueller's study provides valuable insights into how media coverage can either exacerbate or mitigate the risk of copycat suicides, which is essential for developing effective communication strategies in the press release and letter to parents.

· Exposure to Suicide in High Schools: Impact on Serious Suicidal Ideation/Behavior, Depression, Maladaptive Coping Strategies, and Attitudes toward Help-Seeking

Gould MS, Lake AM, Kleinman M, Galfalvy H, Chowdhury S, & Madnick A. (2018). Exposure to suicide in high schools: Impact on serious suicidal ideation/behavior, depression, maladaptive coping strategies, and attitudes toward help-seeking. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(3). This peer-reviewed study provides empirical evidence on how exposure to suicide affects adolescents' mental health, including increased suicidal ideation, maladaptive coping strategies, and shifts in attitudes toward seeking help. These insights are critical for informing the development of interventions that address the immediate needs of students following a peer’s suicide and for crafting communications that promote healthy coping mechanisms and encourage help-seeking behavior.

· School-Based Suicide Prevention: A Framework for Evidence-Based Practice

Singer, J. B., Erbacher, T. A., & Rosen, P. (2019). School-based suicide prevention: A framework for evidence-based practice. School Mental Health, 11(1), 54–71. This article provides a comprehensive review of best practices and existing research on school-based suicide prevention. It offers practical guidance on how to implement and evaluate suicide prevention programs within schools, addressing the critical need to prevent contagion following a student's suicide.

· Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct

Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. In Methodological Issues and Strategies in Clinical Research., 4th Ed. American Psychological Association; 2016:495-512. This reading (Chapter 30 of the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct) outlines the foundational ethical principles that guide psychologists in their professional activities. These principles are crucial for the assignment because they provide a framework for ensuring that all actions taken by the school in response to the recent suicide are ethically sound.

Week 8 Optional Resources

· Suicide Contagion and Clusters—Part 1: What School Psychologists Should Know

Poland, S., Lieberman, R., & Niznik, M. (2019). Suicide contagion and clusters--Part 1: What school psychologists should know. Communique, 47(5), 1. This article is specifically targeted at school psychologists and offers practical, evidence-based insights into suicide contagion and clusters, which are directly relevant to the situation being addressed. The authors provide essential information on how to identify and manage suicide contagion in a school setting, making it a critical resource for developing interventions, guidelines, and communications. While it offers valuable insights and is written by experts, it is more of a professional resource than a peer-reviewed academic journal article.

· Does suicide contagion (Werther Effect) take place in response to social media? A systematic review

Calvo, S., Carrasco, J. P., Conde-Pumpido, C., Esteve, J., & Aguilar, E. J. (2024). Does suicide contagion (Werther effect) take place in response to social media? A systematic review. Spanish Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health. This article provides valuable insights into the relationship between social media and suicidal behavior, its focus on a broad review of existing literature. As a supplemental resource, this article can enhance understanding of the nuances of suicide contagion in the digital age, particularly in relation to social media.

L8Instructions.docx

Suicide Prevention

Since 2000, the only high school in a wealthy, suburban, majority white, community with a population of less than 50,000 has lost 15 current or recent graduates to suicide. In addition, the community has experienced at least three suicide clusters. Mueller (2017) examined the role of the media, and her results have found that media stories are both producers and products of local culture. Additionally, she found that mental health problems were often hidden and seen as shameful. She concluded that the media was able to craft the story about why youth die by suicide in a direction that suited it. The media emphasized academic pressure as a motive for suicide, while at the same time downplaying other competing explanations for suicide, such as depression. The result of this was to strengthen the link of escaping the pressure of the community and suicide.

Rezaeian (2012) focuses his discussion on the two general types of suicide clusters proposed by Joiner (1999). The first is point clusters while the second is mass clusters. Point clusters are localized and involve cases that are clustered in both space and time within institutional settings such as schools or hospitals. Mass clusters fall under the influence of the media and occur following the publicizing of a fictional or actual suicide. The author reviews cluster prevention programs and concludes that the focus should be on identifying high-risk individuals such as close friends. Other high-risk individuals include those with previous history of suicide attempt, drug or alcohol abuse, and/or psychiatric problems. The focus should lead to direct preventive services to those susceptible individuals.

Robertson, et al. (2012) studied suicide clusters in New Zealand and determined that electronic communications technology played in a role in spreading information about the suicides throughout the community. The activity focused on people wanting to acknowledge the loss of a life. Because adolescents use social networking sites as well and text messaging to exchange information about the suicides with their peers, news of each death spread quickly and extended far beyond each school that was directly affected. Students would find out about a suicide before schools were able to initiate any intervention. This would result in rumors and speculation regarding the suicides. The rumors contributed to speculation as to the number of completed suicides, the methods that had been used, and the possibility of a suicide pact. This increased the number of posts and messages, which resulted in increased anxiety.

References

Joiner, T. E., Jr. (1999). The clustering and contagion of suicide. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 8(3), 89–92.

Mueller, A. S. (2017, May). Does the media matter to suicide? Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community. Social Science & Medicine, 180, 152-159.

Rezaeian, M. (2012). Suicide clusters: Introducing a novel type of categorization. Violence and Victims, 27(1), 125-132.

Robertson, L., Skegg, K., Poore, M., Williams, S., & Taylor, B. (2012). An adolescent suicide cluster and the possible role of electronic communication technology. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention, 33(4), 239-245.

Signature Assignment: Document the Foundations of a School Suicide Prevention Program

Scenario

Following the tragic suicide of a student, a rural school has asked for your assistance in developing interventions to prevent copycat suicides. You are concerned that focusing too much on the incident could inadvertently increase the risk of a contagion effect. To avoid this, you must research available information on copycat or cluster suicides.

Instructions

Compile a comprehensive report addressing the following components:

1. Research Summary and Guidelines:

Provide a summary of the research on the potential for suicide contagion to ensure that nothing the school does contributes to a suicide cluster.

Include a list of specific dos and don’ts for the school based on this research.

Emphasize evidence-based practices and ensure that each recommendation is directly tied to the research you’ve reviewed.

2. Press Release:

Draft a press release that carefully avoids any language or statements that might inadvertently encourage suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

3. Parent Letter:

Write a letter to the parents that includes:

An overview of the school’s concerns.

Information on suicide risk factors.

Suggested conversations parents can have with their children regarding this sensitive issue.

4. Student Outreach Plan:

Develop a strategy to encourage students who are feeling concerned or at risk to seek help. This could take the form of a poster, handout, or public announcement.

References: Support your assignment with at least five peer-reviewed articles. In addition to these specified resources, other appropriate scholarly resources may be included. Credible websites such as .org, .mil, .gov, and .edu are acceptable, however, cannot serve as primary sources to support this assignment.

Length: The total length of the report should be 10-12 pages, not including title and reference pages.

Your assignment should demonstrate thoughtful consideration of the ideas and concepts presented in the course by providing new thoughts and insights relating directly to this topic. Your response should reflect scholarly writing and current APA standards.

L8RequiredResources.docx

Required Resources

· Does the media matter to suicide? Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community

Mueller, A. S. (2017). Does the media matter to suicide?: Examining the social dynamics surrounding media reporting on suicide in a suicide-prone community. Social Science & Medicine, 180, 152–159. This article explores the critical influence of media reporting on suicide contagion. Mueller's study provides valuable insights into how media coverage can either exacerbate or mitigate the risk of copycat suicides, which is essential for developing effective communication strategies in the press release and letter to parents.

· Exposure to Suicide in High Schools: Impact on Serious Suicidal Ideation/Behavior, Depression, Maladaptive Coping Strategies, and Attitudes toward Help-Seeking

Gould MS, Lake AM, Kleinman M, Galfalvy H, Chowdhury S, & Madnick A. (2018). Exposure to suicide in high schools: Impact on serious suicidal ideation/behavior, depression, maladaptive coping strategies, and attitudes toward help-seeking. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 15(3). This peer-reviewed study provides empirical evidence on how exposure to suicide affects adolescents' mental health, including increased suicidal ideation, maladaptive coping strategies, and shifts in attitudes toward seeking help. These insights are critical for informing the development of interventions that address the immediate needs of students following a peer’s suicide and for crafting communications that promote healthy coping mechanisms and encourage help-seeking behavior.

· School-Based Suicide Prevention: A Framework for Evidence-Based Practice

Singer, J. B., Erbacher, T. A., & Rosen, P. (2019). School-based suicide prevention: A framework for evidence-based practice. School Mental Health, 11(1), 54–71. This article provides a comprehensive review of best practices and existing research on school-based suicide prevention. It offers practical guidance on how to implement and evaluate suicide prevention programs within schools, addressing the critical need to prevent contagion following a student's suicide.

· Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct

Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct. In Methodological Issues and Strategies in Clinical Research., 4th Ed. American Psychological Association; 2016:495-512. This reading (Chapter 30 of the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct) outlines the foundational ethical principles that guide psychologists in their professional activities. These principles are crucial for the assignment because they provide a framework for ensuring that all actions taken by the school in response to the recent suicide are ethically sound.

Week 8 Optional Resources

· Suicide Contagion and Clusters—Part 1: What School Psychologists Should Know

Poland, S., Lieberman, R., & Niznik, M. (2019). Suicide contagion and clusters--Part 1: What school psychologists should know. Communique, 47(5), 1. This article is specifically targeted at school psychologists and offers practical, evidence-based insights into suicide contagion and clusters, which are directly relevant to the situation being addressed. The authors provide essential information on how to identify and manage suicide contagion in a school setting, making it a critical resource for developing interventions, guidelines, and communications. While it offers valuable insights and is written by experts, it is more of a professional resource than a peer-reviewed academic journal article.

· Does suicide contagion (Werther Effect) take place in response to social media? A systematic review

Calvo, S., Carrasco, J. P., Conde-Pumpido, C., Esteve, J., & Aguilar, E. J. (2024). Does suicide contagion (Werther effect) take place in response to social media? A systematic review. Spanish Journal of Psychiatry and Mental Health. This article provides valuable insights into the relationship between social media and suicidal behavior, its focus on a broad review of existing literature. As a supplemental resource, this article can enhance understanding of the nuances of suicide contagion in the digital age, particularly in relation to social media.