Running head: HELPING HANDS

Helping Hands Suicide Prevention

Aaruba Ayesha, Drew Wheat, Noelle Di Grazia, and Rebekah Sullivan
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

EDUC 583: Career and Professional Development

Dr. Helyne Frederick

November 19, 2020

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Helping Hands Suicide Prevention

The overall health and success of a community is based on several factors including

socioeconomic variables, the physical environment, rates of clinical care, and more. Variables

such as substance abuse, socioeconomic status and lack of health insurance have shown to be

related to an increase in suicide rates, thereby decreasing a community’s overall health

outcomes. The percentage of health providers available within a population also affects the

community’s health. When there are more uninsured families, higher rates of substance abuse,

and lower socioeconomic levels, there is less access to mental health providers, which can lead

to an increase in suicide rates for children and families.

Focusing more on these three variables, it is clear that when mental health providers are

inaccessible in a location, suicide rates increase. In terms of substance abuse amongst

adolescents and adults, the risk of suicide increases when it is the likelier for a person to use

tobacco (Evins et al., 2017). For adolescents in lower socioeconomic statuses, there is evidence

supporting the idea that “impoverished communities are at increased risk for negative health

outcomes” (Hoffman et al., 2020). However, there isn’t a linear relationship between poverty and

suicide rates amongst youth and adolescents. Several studies suggest that there is a hidden third

variable of location that plays a part in suicide risks. Low-income families living in wealthy

cities are essentially “living in the wealth gap”, creating more dissonance and possibly increasing

risks for suicide (Woodruff, 2012). There also seems to be a relationship between low SES,

social isolation, and suicide; both low SES and social isolation contribute to an increase in

suicide rates (Näher, Rummel-Kluge, & Hegerl, 2020). Social isolation could make already-

sensitive groups more likely to commit suicide.

For uninsured families who cannot access appropriate and affordable health insurance,

they are threatened with a variety of health concerns. This can have damaging effects on the
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family’s well-being, especially in the area of mental health. Without health insurance, many

parents and children are unable to afford effective counseling. According to an analysis of the

2016 National Survey of Children's Health (NSCH) data, uninsured children with at least one

mental health disorder had a higher treatment disparity than insured children with at least one

mental health disorder (Gao & Adesman, 2019). Using all of this information relating to suicide

risks and factors, our proposal will address suicide prevention strategies amongst high school

students.

Proposal
Based off previous studies and evidence surrounding suicide rates amongst adolescents,

our proposal focuses on sharing suicide prevention policies. The program will be based off of the

5E Instructional Framework, which approaches learning through engagement, exploration,

explanation, elaboration, and evaluation. This approach is based on the constructivist theory,

where students can assess their own understanding and reflect on their learning (Ambrose et al.,

2010). The lesson’s goals and activities will reflect this framework and help students recognize

signs of suicide to help themselves and others.

Purpose

The purpose of our Helping Hands Suicide Prevention program is to implement

prevention strategies to reduce the rates of suicide amongst high school students. The founders of

the program understand that suicide continues to be a problem in our society, and that high

school students are especially vulnerable to suicide and suicidality based on the unique stressors

of high school. The program will target high school students in North Carolina, with a special

emphasis on areas where suicidality is most present.

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Vision

We envision students having a non-judgmental community where they will be able to learn new

ways to cope with their feelings, learn how to identify warning signs of suicide in their own life

and in the lives of their peers, and reduce the rates of suicide in their school.

Goals

Goals Activity Description Objectives

Goal 1: Students Lesson A series of lesson plans that 1. Students will be able to
will be able to teach the children how to look know what warning signs of
recognize signs of for warning signs in suicide are
suicide and themselves and in their 2. Students will learn how
depression in friends will be created. The to be on the lookout for
themself and in lesson plans will tie-in to the these warning signs.
others workshop that will be used to
accomplish Goal 2.

Goal 2: Student will Workshop A workshop that educates
be able to students on effective coping
understand what mechanisms and how they can
they can do when ask for help will be created
they have suicidal and can be implemented in a
thoughts school setting. The workshop
will be used in conjunction
with the lesson used in Goal
1.
1. Students will learn the
resources around them that
can help with their suicidal
thoughts
2. Students will learn what
they can do for themselves
to reduce their suicidal
thoughts

Goal 3: Students Advocacy At the end of the program, 1. Students will be able to
will be able to students will have the ability list at least three external
understand how to understand how external factors influencing suicide
social and cultural factors can affect suicide. 2. Students will be able to
factors affect They will learn this through advocate for communities
suicide rates guest speakers from that are affected by these
community members in external factors
underrepresented
communities.

LESSON: Helping Hands Suicide Prevention

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Purpose of Session

● Bring awareness of suicide risk in youth

● Raise students’ efficacy of suicide prevention in self and others

Goals and Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students should be able to:

● Understand suicide statistics in youth

● Assess risk and protective factors contributing to suicide in adolescents

● Be aware of signs of suicide in self and others (in order to take preventative action)

● Locate resources for mental health services

Part 1: Game

● Kahoot on statistics about suicide: https://create.kahoot.it/share/how-much-do-you-

know-about-suicide/1b77cfdc-88f5-45c2-8d6b-62d4c4198e59

● Discuss key points/takeaways

Part 2: Discussion

● What are ways that suicide is represented in media (e.g., music, movies, talked about on

social media, etc.)?

○ Some examples: 13 Reasons Why, dark humor/memes, etc.

● Are those things accurately representing suicide and suicide risk?

○ What’s accurate? What’s inaccurate?

● Are there ways that suicide is glorified in media?

● What might the impact of that be?

Part 3: Protective & Risk Factors Tug-Of-War Activity

● Define what a protective factor and a risk factor is, have students list some things they

think might apply (e.g., stable income, loving family environment, food insecurity, etc.)

○ Use this resource to identify risk factors and protective factors

■ https://www.maine.gov/suicide/youth/warningsigns/protective.htm
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● Cut out slips of paper with either protective or risk factors on them. Have each student

draw one piece of paper and tape it to their shirt.

● Divide up the room by having all students with protective factors on one side and all

students with risk factors on the other.

● Have the students participate in a tug-of-war game, demonstrating that having more risk

factors can “outweigh” protective factors, or vice versa, leading to hopelessness, lack of

resources and connection, and potentially, suicide.

Part 4: Identifying the Signs

● Use this resource to:

○ 1. Discuss reasons teens might consider suicide

○ 2. Identify warning signs in youth and

○ 3. Discuss how you could help someone showing some of these signs

■ https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=teen-suicide-

learning-to-recognize-the-warning-signs-1-1696

● Questionnaire: print these and give to students to use on themselves or give to others

○ Suicide Screening Tool

○ Risk Factor Assessment Tool

○ Link to the ACE quiz, to figure out adverse childhood experiences and risk factors

■ You may want to host some discussion time about adverse experiences

that students may have had

More Resources

● https://afsp.org/get-help

● National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 800-273-8255

● Infographic (see Appendix B)

Evaluation Tool
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1. What level of knowledge did you have about teen suicide statistics, risks, and
intervention? none some a fair amount a lot
2. Do you feel more knowledgeable of suicide rates in adolescents? Yes No
3. Do you feel more familiar with risk factors contributing risk factors contributing to
suicide in teens? Yes No
4. Could you recognize risk and protective factors in your own daily life? Yes No
5. Are you confident that you could recognize sings of suicide in others? Yes No
6. Are you confident that you could recognize signs of suicide in yourself? Yes No
7. How confident are you that you could take preventative action if you see signs of suicide
in yourself or others? not at all slightly moderate very
8. How confident do you feel to access resources for suicide prevention and intervention
not at all slightly moderate very
9. How likely are you to use these resources if needed? not at all slightly moderate very

What were the most impactful sections of this lesson? __________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

What were the least impactful sections of this lesson? __________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

What are some ways you would improve the less impactful sections? ______________________

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________

Are there any overall comments you have about this lesson? _____________________________

______________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________

References
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Ambrose, S., Bridges, M., Lovett, M., DiPietro, M., & Norman, M (2010). How Learning

Works: 7 Research – Based Principles for Smart Teaching. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Dresden, D. (2020, May 12). Caring for someone with depression during the COVID

19pandemic. Medical News Today; Healthline Media.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/how-to-care-for-someone-with-

depression#seeking-help

Evins, A. E., Korhonen, T., Kinnunen, T. H., & Kaprio, J. (2017). Prospective association

between tobacco smoking and death by suicide: A competing risks hazard analysis in a

large twin cohort with 35-year follow-up. Psychological Medicine, 47(12), 2143-2154.

doi:http://dx.doi.org.libproxy.lib.unc.edu/10.1017/S0033291717000587

Gao R. & Adesman, A. (2019). Disparities in prevalence and treatment of mental health

disorders in children. JAMA Pediatrics, 173(8), 799-800.

doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2019.1623.

Hoffmann, J. A., Farrell, C. A., Monuteaux, M. C., Fleegler, E. W., & Lee, L. K. (2020).

Association of pediatric suicide with county-level poverty in the United States, 2007-

2016. JAMA pediatrics, 174(3), 287-294.

Näher, A., Rummel-Kluge, C., & Hegerl, U. (2020). Associations of suicide rates with

socioeconomic status and social isolation: findings from longitudinal register and census

data. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 10. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2019.00898

(n.d.). Suicide: What to do when someone is suicidal. Mayo Clinic.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/suicide/in-depth/suicide/art-20044707
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Sharma, A., Madaan, V., & Petty, F. D. (2006). Exercise for mental health. Primary care

companion to the Journal of clinical psychiatry, 8(2), 106.

https://doi.org/10.4088/pcc.v08n0208a

Woodruff, M. (2012, November 12). “Keeping Up with The Joneses” Could Lead to Suicide.

Business Insider ; Business Insider.

https://www.businessinsider.com/personal-finance/link-between-wealth-and-suicide-

rates-san-francisco-federal-reserve-2012-11
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Appendix A
Proposed Budget

Supplies Personal Space Food Other Weekly Monthly Total

Total

Average $300 $350 $250 $100 $100 $1,100 $1,100 x 4=

Week
$4,400
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Appendix B
Infographic
Note: The infographic is also attached in our Sakai submission.