Youth

Please note: This project is designed to address the problem of adult suicide. However, many young people access adult services and so the ‘cut-off’ age is not clear. With this in mind we include a selection of resources that may assist the young person or the primary care worker.

Bahr, Nan & Hurdy, Kristelle (eds) (2003). Our Adolescents: Issues for teachers, schools and communities. Flaxton, Qld: Post Pressed.

A series of conference papers from the 2001 and 2002 conference held at the University of Queensland, School of Education. Addresses many of the issues confronting adolescents today. Specific papers on suicide include the issues of practical techniques; prevention programs; and postvention.

Carr, Alan (2002). Depression and attempted suicide in adolescence. Victoria: ACER Press.

This series of highly practical guides has been designed for practitioners who work with adolescents and their families, with the aim of providing concise, up-to-date information on adolescent problems.

The guides are designed for use in assessment and intervention with clients and in planning training therapeutic programmes, and can also be used for teaching purposes.”

Crook, Marion (1997). Suicide: Teens talk to teens. Canada: Self-Counsel Press.

“Chronicles a generation of heartbreak – youths born after 1970 – who had decided as young as age 12 that life held no prospects … One chapter lists clues to suicidal behaviour … There is also advice on where teens can turn for outside conseling.”

Dorais, Michael & Lajeunesse, Simon (2004). Dead boys can’t dance: Sexual orientation, masculinity and suicide. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press.

“Dead boys can’t dance explores the effect of the double taboos of homosexuality and suicide on males from fourteen to twenty-five. [The authors] analyse how being stigmatised as homosexual affects personality and behaviour and show that those who are heterosexual, but are suspected of being homosexual, are most at risk of committing suicide. They also suggest ways in which such suicides can be prevented.”

Grollman, Earl A. & Malikow, Max (1999). Living when a young friend commits suicide: or even starts talking about it. Boston: Beacon Press.

One of your friends or relatives has committed suicide, or has been talking about it. … Living when a young friend commits suicide talks about things like the first days after a death and what you may feel; the need to know why; how you can tell if someone is suicidal; what to do if you’ve promised not to tell anyone; returning to school after a suicide; and popular misconceptions, like the idea that people who attempt suicide are just looking for attention. It is a straightforward, compassionate book – one that gives comfort and expert ideas for helping yourself.”

Kaufman, Miriam (2000). Helping your teen overcome depression: A guide for parents. Toronto: Key Porter Books.

“Using clear and accessible language, Dr. Miriam Kaufman explains what teen depression is, and how it can be overcome. She gives parents a thorough overview with the most up-to-date medical knowledge, and includes many illustrative case histories.

In a broad-ranging question-and-answer section she addresses many of the specific concerns of parents, and of teenagers themselves. Dr. Kaufman outlines the warning signs of suicide and offers professional advice on how it can be prevented.”

Nelson, Richard & Galas, Judith C. (1994). The power to prevent suicide: A guide for teens helping teens. Minneapolis: Free Spirit Publishing Inc.

“When teenagers were asked, “Who would you tell about wanting to commit suicide?” 90 percent said they would tell a friend first. This book tells you what to do next. The power to prevent suicide recognizes your power to save a life.”

Oster, Gerald D. & Montgomery, Sarah S. (1995). Helping your depressed teenager: A guide for parents and caregivers. New York: John Wiley & Sons Inc.

“The authors are experts in this field [teenage depression and suicide] and have helped countless youngsters confront and overcome their depressed mood. In a highly readable and gentle manner, they help you to see behind the ‘masks’ of troubled teens who attempt to hide their true feelings. They help you distinguish the subtle and sometimes not so subtle signs that something is seriously wrong. And they help you provide the loving support and assistance teenagers need to make it through this difficult life passage.”

Rey, Joseph (2002). More than just the blues: Understanding serious teenage problems. NSW, Australia: Simon & Schuster.

“It almost seems to be an accepted fact that our children’s teenage years are going to be ‘difficult’. But when does the ‘normal’ range of adolescent behaviours and problems tip over into a situation in need of intervention? When should parents really begin to worry? Dr. Rey describes the signs to look for …”