25 Apr Preventing Suicide

You have been treating D.R., a 15-year-old male, for ADHD for six months and you two have a good rapport.  When D.R. sees you for follow-up today, his mother is in attendance and asks to speak with you.  D.R. appears forlorn and avoids eye contact with you as his mother begins to speak.  She tells you that D.R. was attacked and beaten by a mob of students in the gym two weeks ago.  The incident was recorded by a student and placed on TikTok.  It was subsequently played numerous times on the news, although the minors’ faces were blurred.  She tells you she has seen a drastic change in his personality at home since the incident occurred.  She would like you to talk with D.R. because she is worried about him staying in his room so much and his refusal to go to school most days. 

Once D.R.’s mother leaves the room, you ask him about the incident.  He advises that he was walking through the gym when six students initiated an unprovoked attack.  He was punched and kicked repeatedly and none of the other students present came to his aid.  D.R. states “I don’t want to go back.  No one can protect me, and nobody cares.  They’re all back in school already and I don’t think I can do this anymore”. 

Your paper should include:

1. Identify any signs in D.R.’s presentation that could indicate he is considering suicide. 

2. Provide current (within the last five years) data on the prevalence of suicide following bullying.

3. Provide 4 interventions with rationale, supported by a minimum of 4 scholarly sources, to aid in the prevention of suicide of this patient.

Note: Scholarly resources are defined as evidence-based practice, peer-reviewed journals; textbooks (do not rely solely on your textbook as a reference); and National Standard Guidelines. Review assignment instructions, as this will provide any additional requirements that are not specifically listed on the rubric.

Resource to use

1. https://afsp.org/teens-and-suicide-what-parents-should-know/ American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

2. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/07/psychologists-preventing-teen-suicide.

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8976221/. Adolescent Suicide—Understanding Unique Risks and Opportunities for Trauma Centers to Recognize, Intervene, and Prevent a Leading Cause of Death.