Suicide Prevention Discussion

Before completing this discussion, be sure to review Chapter 13 in your text, the “Suicide Prevention (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.” article, and the Final Chapter video. After examining the research in human development presented in your required resources, complete the following discussion:

The number of deaths officially designated as suicide among young adults (15-24 years of age) has increased considerably (see the “Suicide Prevention (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.” article). Interpret the available statistics and describe the influences of family, culture, and environment as it pertains to the data. Be sure to distinguish between suicide attempts and deaths attributed to suicide, and to report gender differences. Your initial post should address the following: Suicide Prevention Discussion

Discuss whether the available statistics accurately represent the evidence (e.g., can these statistics underreport the actual rates?).
Describe at least two potential causes of suicide among teens according to the scientific literature.
Examine at least one feasible solution to the issue of suicide and discuss its effectiveness.

Your initial post must be at least 300 words and use a minimum of one scholarly source located in the Ashford University Library or on Google Scholar that is cited and referenced according to APA style,

In 2015, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health (MDPH) requested funding from the Garrett Lee Smith State grant to support their Massachusetts Youth Suicide Prevention Project (YSPP). The project’s purpose was to reduce the rate of suicide attempts and deaths among youth in Massachusetts.

The project focused on creating Suicide-Safe Centers of Care to enhance treatment and care management, early identification, and integration into state systems (Suicide Prevention Resource Center, 2020). The funding provided MDPH the opportunity to address the youth population in rural areas of Massachusetts. MDPH created a strategic plan to target at the individual and community level. Suicide Prevention Discussion

The main components of YSPP are to develop a model that will focus on prevention and priority. The project was implemented in two acute care hospitals to get a network of public health efforts, such as primary physicians, rehabilitation centers, health centers, and school-based health centers (MA Youth Suicide Prevention Project, n.d.).

It gave more accessibility to youth for resources, especially those living in rural areas. One of the strengths of the project was targeting youth who lived in rural communities, youth with substance use, LGBTQ, and youth who have considered or attempted suicide. These were the most at-risk youth, resulting in efforts to prioritize high-risk populations.

The weakness of the design was that the MDPH would not use the funds for infrastructure change. In this case, individuals did not have access to mental health services. The hospital is the only setting to give resources to individuals, but this is when they are admitted for suicidal attempts. Suicide Prevention Discussion

Even when offered services, it requires individuals to use health insurance. Most of the time, mental health is not covered by health insurance. In addition to this project, mental health services should be affordable for individuals to receive them. The funding should focus on delivering an appropriate approach for mental health services than having individuals always contact the local hospital to get seen.

In the design element, objectives and goals should be identified to show the project’s development. The YSPP had multiple goals that were focused on in the grant proposal. Within these goals, the performance measures were included. This would be a helpful strategy to show how the goals will be measured to determine if it was reached. Suicide Prevention Discussion

In addition, providing information on what activities will be implemented will effectively show how the project will be conducted with the youth (MA Youth Suicide Prevention Project, n.d.). For example, screening assessments and coordinating care will be some of the activities used within my capstone project. Suicide Prevention Discussion

References

MA Youth Suicide Prevention Project. (n.d.). Massachusetts Project Narrative. Retrieved from https://www.mass.gov/doc/state-sponsored-youth-sui…

Suicide Prevention Resource Center. (2020). Massachusetts Department of Public Health. Retrieved from https://www.sprc.org/grantees/massachusetts-depart…