Suicide national health problem
My heart goes out to the family and friends of Garrett Scott Jay. Tragically, suicide is a national health problem that results in a death every 16 minutes and is the second leading cause of death among college students.
Unfortunately, the recent article "Student Hanged Self" (3/27/07) misses a real opportunity to inform the public about suicide. For example research shows that more than 90 percent of people who die by suicide have an underlying, although not always diagnosed, psychiatric illness at the time of their death.
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I understand that reports about individual deaths by suicide are newsworthy to the local community and need to be covered. That is why the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) along with the Annenberg Public Policy Center and others developed media recommendations which are designed to encourage responsible, accurate and informative reporting about suicide.
These recommendations include explaining the real causes of suicide, listing suicide warning signs, offering expert opinions and places someone can go for help if they are feeling depressed or suicidal. Reports should also avoid describing the suicide method or sensationalizing the suicide with graphic details. For more information about these media recommendations please visit www.afsp.org/media.
Paula Clayton
Medical Director
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
New York, NY
Many people suffer from undiagnosed or untreated depression, putting them at higher risk for suicide. If ordinary sadness becomes an everyday burden, ask for some help. It's there.