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More teens in Harvey County are committing suicide than their peers, according to recently released KIDS COUNT data.
Local officials expressed concern that although services are available for Harvey County teens in emotional distress, some children are not getting the help they need.
“I think we have to, as a community, work harder and look harder to recognize risk factors and get kids in for therapy or community-based services,” said Elizabeth Guhman, Ph.D., and vice president for child and adolescent services at Prairie View in Newton.
“Hopefully, we can continue, as is the case elsewhere in the state, to try to keep kids in the community and out of the hospitals,” she said. “We want to work within families and with schools to address mental-heath needs.”
Harvey County ranked significantly above its peers in teen violent death according to the KIDS COUNT report, which is snapshot of conditions for Kansas children that is compiled by Kansas Action for Children.
The report listed teen violent death as homicide, suicide and motor-vehicle accidents.
According to data from the Harvey County coroner’s officer, there were no children who died as a result of homicide or motor-vehicle accidents in Harvey County in 2008, the year from which the data came.
The rate for Harvey County for teen violent death was 82.17 per 100,000 15 to 19 year olds. The statewide average was 38.53 deaths per 100,000 children, and the peer rate was 26.21 deaths per 100,000 children.
At the same time teen deaths were high, Harvey County lagged behind its peers in hospitalization of teens for mental-health care.
Harvey County’s rate in 2008 was 1.89 hospitalizations per 1,000 children, whereas the state rate was 3.36 hospitalizations, and the peer county rate was 3.29 hospitalizations.
The explanation for the lower rate of hospitalization among Harvey County children could be two fold, Guhman said.
She said Prairie View emphasizes providing children and all clients with services in their community and works toward the goal of keeping clients out of the hospital if possible.
Prairie View closed its adolescent hospitalization program two years ago, so youth with acute mental illness must be sent to Good Shepherd in Wichita.
Kids at risk
Although some children may be getting care in the community instead of a hospital, Guhman said she fears there are teens in the community who need help but are not being identified through normal channels.
“When we look at teen violence and suicide, we don’t look at internalizers who act on themselves or perhaps act out with a motor vehicle by taking unnecessary risks,” she said. “Kids who externalize get services. They may not want it because it is forced on them. However, it’s harder to recognize when they internalize.”
Stigma continues to be a barrier to teens and adults getting help for mental illness, Guhman said.
“I think one thing we can do is get more education into community both in terms of crisis hotlines, individuals, and things such as putting it in paper,” she said.
Bullying, family and school stress, and underlying biological factors could all put teens at risk for suicide, Guhman said.
Teens can be at a higher risk to act on suicidal thoughts because of an inability to control impulsive behavior.
“I think teens are a fairly high-risk group compared to adults, and that has to do with their development,” Guhman said. “Kids brains don’t fully develop until they are 25 or 26 — a little older for males than females.
“They also have hormonal changes and may have a higher amount of energy behind some of their emotions. In the case of suicide or risky behavior, if you are really depressed, you are too depressed to act. If you still have high energy or alcohol is involved, there is more risk.”
More teens in Harvey County are committing suicide than their peers, according to recently released KIDS COUNT data.
Local officials expressed concern that although services are available for Harvey County teens in emotional distress, some children are not getting the help they need.
“I think we have to, as a community, work harder and look harder to recognize risk factors and get kids in for therapy or community-based services,” said Elizabeth Guhman, Ph.D., and vice president for child and adolescent services at Prairie View in Newton.
“Hopefully, we can continue, as is the case elsewhere in the state, to try to keep kids in the community and out of the hospitals,” she said. “We want to work within families and with schools to address mental-heath needs.”
Harvey County ranked significantly above its peers in teen violent death according to the KIDS COUNT report, which is snapshot of conditions for Kansas children that is compiled by Kansas Action for Children.
The report listed teen violent death as homicide, suicide and motor-vehicle accidents.
According to data from the Harvey County coroner’s officer, there were no children who died as a result of homicide or motor-vehicle accidents in Harvey County in 2008, the year from which the data came.
The rate for Harvey County for teen violent death was 82.17 per 100,000 15 to 19 year olds. The statewide average was 38.53 deaths per 100,000 children, and the peer rate was 26.21 deaths per 100,000 children.
At the same time teen deaths were high, Harvey County lagged behind its peers in hospitalization of teens for mental-health care.
Harvey County’s rate in 2008 was 1.89 hospitalizations per 1,000 children, whereas the state rate was 3.36 hospitalizations, and the peer county rate was 3.29 hospitalizations.
The explanation for the lower rate of hospitalization among Harvey County children could be two fold, Guhman said.
She said Prairie View emphasizes providing children and all clients with services in their community and works toward the goal of keeping clients out of the hospital if possible.
Prairie View closed its adolescent hospitalization program two years ago, so youth with acute mental illness must be sent to Good Shepherd in Wichita.
Kids at risk
Although some children may be getting care in the community instead of a hospital, Guhman said she fears there are teens in the community who need help but are not being identified through normal channels.
“When we look at teen violence and suicide, we don’t look at internalizers who act on themselves or perhaps act out with a motor vehicle by taking unnecessary risks,” she said. “Kids who externalize get services. They may not want it because it is forced on them. However, it’s harder to recognize when they internalize.”
Stigma continues to be a barrier to teens and adults getting help for mental illness, Guhman said.
“I think one thing we can do is get more education into community both in terms of crisis hotlines, individuals, and things such as putting it in paper,” she said.
Bullying, family and school stress, and underlying biological factors could all put teens at risk for suicide, Guhman said.
Teens can be at a higher risk to act on suicidal thoughts because of an inability to control impulsive behavior.
“I think teens are a fairly high-risk group compared to adults, and that has to do with their development,” Guhman said. “Kids brains don’t fully develop until they are 25 or 26 — a little older for males than females.
“They also have hormonal changes and may have a higher amount of energy behind some of their emotions. In the case of suicide or risky behavior, if you are really depressed, you are too depressed to act. If you still have high energy or alcohol is involved, there is more risk.”
What can we do?
Some indicators of a child who may need help are major changes in the child’s behavior, Guhman said.
The child may isolate him or herself from friends, the child’s mood may change, his or her eating and sleeping habits may change or the teen may use alcohol.
Resources are available through Prairie View and the school system to get children assessed for mental-health services. A primary-care physician also may be able to refer a child for treatment or prescribe anti-depressant or anti-anxiety medication, Guhman said.
Mental-health services
Once a child has been identified as in need of services, Prairie View offers, individual therapy, community-based services, case management and pyscho-social groups.
Children can work with a therapist or in a group setting to build social skills and learn to deal with emotional issues, such as anger, frustration or depression, Guhman said.
Prairie View also offers a residential school program for children who have not been able to improve in a community setting and are at risk of hurting themselves or others or destroying property.
The stay in the residential school program averages three to six months.
Community response
Community members concerned with Harvey County’s higher-than-average suicide rate formed the Harvey County Suicide Coalition last year.
Jason Reynolds, coalition organizer, said teens are a concern for the group, but members did not want to focus on youth at the exclusion of other demographics
“I think when you look at our suicide data, it will probably show that it covers the whole age gamut from seniors to teenagers,” he said.
The group coordinated suicide prevention activities in the fall, including a yellow ribbon campaign.
Thousands of cards with suicide hotline numbers were printed and distributed in the area. Cards are still available through the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department.
The coalition will meet in February to develop plans for 2011 prevention programs.
Reynolds said the group also will work to develop a united plan to address suicide in the community.
“What we would like to see happen is that all people that are significant in teens lives would have consistent policies,” Reynolds said. “We need a starting place.
“What we hope will happen is that all the different agencies in the community and key players can have consistent research-based strategies instead of opinions of what should happen.”
