Competitive culture in high school blamed for increased attempted suicides, self-medication
By Dan Aznoff / Special to the Reporter
High expectations and limited resources for high school students on the Eastside have resulted in more teenagers turning to alcohol and marijuana to cope with anxiety and an alarming jump in the number of attempted suicides.
Results from the Healthy Youth Survey from the Bellevue, Issaquah and Lake Washington districts indicate that an increasing number of high school students admitted to being depressed and having contemplated suicide within the past year. In each district, the percentage of students in local high schools who thought about ending their lives was marginally less than the statewide average.
“The number of young people seeking professional help has jumped from 3-4 incidents during an entire school year to 3-4 every month,” said David Downing, associate director of Youth Eastside Services. “In most cases, the expectations placed on these kids are more than they are emotionally prepared to deal with. That’s why so many of them have turned to self-medication.”
Downing blamed what he called the “Testing Culture” that has forced teenagers to judge themselves by their academic performance, adding that the need to build a resume is all consuming for high school students.
“Young people go through the first dozen years of their academic lives without the ability to cope with even the slightest failure. Not living up to the standards set by parents and teachers is not something they are equipped to handle in most cases,” Downing explained. He said cuts to social programs designed to assist young people during the critical years has left the role of counselor up to teachers, coaches and volunteers.
The YES official praised the efforts of the non-profit organization Eastside Pathways and the Bellevue School District for recognizing the need for collaboration and professional guidance for students as young as junior high and middle school.
Clinical psychologist Dr. Maria Elena Lara of Issaquah said underpaid and untrained individuals forced into the role of amateur therapist can be the cause of even more trauma for the young person in need of qualified help.
Professional partners
Issaquah Schools have partnered with Swedish Medical to offer full-time mental health counselors at Issaquah, Liberty and Skyline high schools. A separate agreement with Friends of Youth has peer counselors prepared to talk about issues ranging from drugs and alcohol to depression and suicide at all four high schools.
School board member Lisa Callan said the Issaquah district is trying to be responsive to the needs of the whole child, pointing out that a coalition of non-profit organizations, churches, the city and service clubs organized themselves before the survey was issued to deal with student concerns outside the classroom.
The newest program in the Issaquah district is the Positive Behavior and Social/ Emotional Support Program for students in grades K-8.
“It’s a matter of perspective,” said Callan. “The Healthy Student Survey indicates the trends on a regional and statewide basis. It’s up to us to find the resources to deal with the problems in our own community.”
As an example, Callan pointed out that the Issaquah board has appealed to the state and applied for grants to fund full-time counselors at each of the five middle schools in the district.
Bleak numbers
Results of the 2014 Healthy Youth Survey indicated that 18 percent of high school sophomores and 16 percent of seniors in the Bellevue School District had considered taking their own lives during the past year. The numbers were similar in the Issaquah District, where almost one in every five 10th grader had thought about suicide, compared to one out of every six high school senior.
In the Lake Washington District, three of out every 10 students in high school reported feelings of hopelessness. More than 12 percent of the seniors thought about suicide and more than six percent made at least one attempt to kill themselves during the past school year. Among sophomores, one out of every six made plans to commit suicide, but less than seven percent followed-though with an actual attempt.
Statewide, 20 percent of 10th graders and 18 percent of high school seniors reported that they had contemplated suicide since the start of the academic year. The numbers from Snohomish County were even more sobering where thirteen young people–including two 12-year-olds–committed suicide since September, more than double the number the previous year.
“One successful suicide can be contagious,” said Dr. Lara. “Others tend to be copycat suicide attempts, as if one successful suicide gives other teenagers permission go ahead with plans to kill themselves.”
According to the Everett Herald, the majority of suicides occurred at the beginning and the end of the school year, including a seventh grader who hung herself after learning she did not make the cheer squad and 14-year-old Jaylen Fryberg who killed himself and four classmates at Marysville Pilchuck High School in October.
The most startling statistic from both Snohomish and the Eastside was the high rate of depression and suicidal thoughts among younger students, peaking in the 10th grade. Downing said high school sophomores face the normal barrage of mandatory testing compiled with knowledge they will soon be faced with the additional pressure of the SATs and college applications.
The Healthy Youth Survey indicated a direct correlation with depression and students attempting to self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Approximately 32 percent of high school seniors in Bellevue consider themselves regular drinkers. Twelve percent of the seniors admitted to binge drinking and use of some form of marijuana.
In the Lake Washington district, 34 percent of high school seniors considered themselves regular alcohol drinkers and one in every five reported binge drinking within two weeks of the survey.
High school seniors, according to Downing, feel like they’ve gotten over the hump and enjoy alcohol and marijuana as more of a social experience. He said the legalization of pot has made the use of marijuana more accessible for teens.
“Obtaining pot today is similar to when teenagers used to hang around in the parking lot of a 7-11 to ask somebody to buy them a six-pack of beer,” he said. “But the weed that’s available today is many times more powerful, and unpredictable, than the grass we smoked in the 60s and 70s.”
While the number of attempted suicides and self-medication is lower than the statewide average, the “sharp increase” in both categories is an indication that teachers at every grade level needs to become more sensitive to outward signs of depression, according to Stephanie Cherrington, executive director of Eastside Pathways.
Depressive symptoms, according to Dr. Lara, can mimic Attention Deficit Disorder, Anxiety Disorders and, most often, simple behavioral issues in school and at home.
Cherrington agreed with the Issaquah psychologist, explaining that depression among teenagers cuts across social and economic boundaries. The increased number of minorities on the Eastside makes it even more imperative to include community organizations and church groups to reach teenagers in need.
Cultural challenge
“We all know how much the cultural diversity has increased over the past 15 years, especially in Bellevue,” said Cherrington. “The cry for help may not be recognized in some cultures, but the need is clear in every community.
“We are witness to the demographic change. Now we need to learn to respond in an appropriate manner for each culture and in every situation.”
The collaborative effort spearheaded by Eastside Pathways will explore options to offset the lack of government finding for social programs. Cherrington has high hopes the proposed Best Start for Kids Initiative in King County will provide funding and expertise that can lead to less anxiety and fewer teens considering suicide.
Best Start initiative
The proposal by King County Executive Dow Constantine would be the “ounce of prevention that is worth a pound of cure,” according to Adrienne Quinn, the director of county’s Department of Community and Human Services.”Prevention and early intervention are the most effective and least expensive ways to address the problems of obesity, mental illness, substance abuse and incarceration,” Quinn told a recent meeting of the Eastside Human Services Forum.
The Eastside Human Services Forum is a collation of elected officials, staff and commissioners, representatives from school districts, health organizations and non-profit human services agencies. The Forum was established in May of 2001 to promote cooperation and advocate for services that benefit residents in urban and rural communities from Renton to Bothell. Both Callan and Downing serve as members of the Forum’s board of directors.
Quinn outlined the results of studies have that have shown lifelong problems can often be prevented by investing intensively in children before age five, and then making strategic investments at critical points in a young person’s development before age 24. County commissioners hope to have the initiative on the Nov. 6 ballot.
The director said Best Start for Kids would train educators and daycare providers to identify children in trauma. Quinn emphasized that the initiative, as written, is not limited by social or economic factors.
“The Heathy Youth Survey was just a starting point for Best Start,” said Quinn. “It’s important to identify the young people who are suffering from depressive thoughts and give them the resources to talk with an adult they can trust.”
She added that an important factor of the program would be to take away the stigma of depression.
“Being sad is not a sign of weakness,” stressed Quinn. “We need to let these young people know that asking for help is actually a sign of strength.”
She said intervention before the age of five results in fewer suspensions from school and fewer arrests when the young people grow to become adolescents and young adults.
“It all sounds like a small investment for a rich return for our children and our community.”
This content was authorized by the Eastside Human Services Forum. Dan Aznoff is a freelance writer who lives in Bellevue. His website is DAJournalist.com.
