Growing Happy, Healthy Young Minds

Edited by Dr Ramesh Manocha & Gyongyi Horvath
To read the full chapter go to Volume 1, chapter 7, pp. 96-113.

Authors

Dr Claire Kelly
Manager of Youth Programs at Mental Health First Aid Australia
Dr Claire Kelly is the manager of youth programs at Mental
Health First Aid Australia. She has been a main contributor to the
mental health first aid guidelines projects. Claire has experienced
episodes of depression and anxiety since early adolescence, which
has been a driver for her work.

Website: www.mhfa.com.au

Suicide is the most common cause of death among young people, accounting for a third of deaths among 16 to 24-year-olds. Suicide is often preventable, if people are able to recognise the signs and act quickly.

Want to Learn More, Get Help or Find Support?

Watch: What Can Schools Do After a Death by Suicide? (10:30min) 

Watch:Positive Psychology Strategies to Reduce Depression in Teens (3:44min)

Watch: Why Do Some Young People Injure Themselves? (3:52min)

There are currently no podcasts available. This page will be updated once new podcasts have been created.

Kids Helpline:
Helpline: 1800 55 1800
Lifeline:
Helpline: 13 11 14
Suicide Call Back Service:
This is a telephone counselling service available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for people who are suicidal.
Helpline: 1300 659 467

Mental Health First Aid Australia: www.mhfa.com.au
Orygen – The National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health – MythBuster:Suicidal Ideation: https://www.orygen.org.au/Skills-Knowledge/Resources-Training/Resources/Free/Mythbusters/Suicidal-Ideation

Australian Bureau of Statistics 2016, 3303.0 – Causes of Death Australia, 2015, ABS, Canberra.
Hawton, K, van Heeringen, K 2009, ‘Suicide’, The Lancet, vol. 373, pp 1372–81.
Johnston, AK, Pirkis, JE & Burgess, PM 2009, ‘Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian adults: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing’, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 43, pp 635–43
Lawrence D, Johnson S, Hakefost J, Boterhoven De Haan K, Sawyer M, Ainley J & Zubrick SR 2015, ‘The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents’,
Report on the Second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Department of Health, Canberra.
May, AM & Klonsky, ED 2013, ‘Assessing motivations for suicide attempts: development and psychometric properties of the inventory of motivations for suicide attempts’, Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, vol. 43, pp 532–46.
Mental Health First Aid Australia. Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours: First Aid Guidelines, Mental Health First Aid Australia, Melbourne, 2014.
Ross, AM, Hart, LM, Jorm, AF, Kelly, CM & Kitchener, BA 2012, ‘Development of key messages for adolescents on providing basic mental health first aid to peers: a Delphi consensus study’, Early intervention in psychiatry, vol. 6, no. 3, pp 229–238.
Ross, AM, Kelly, CM & Jorm, AF 2014, ‘Re-development of mental health first aid guidelines for suicidal ideation and behaviour: a Delphi study’, BMC Psychiatry, vol. 14, p 241.
Rudd, MD, Berman, AL, Joiner, TE, Nock, MK, Silverman, MM, Mandrusiak, M, Van Orden, K & Witte, T 2006, ‘Warning signs for suicide: theory, research, and clinical applications’, Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior , vol. 36, pp 255–262.

1. Lawrence, D., Johnson, S., Hakefost, J., Boterhoven De Haan, K., Sawyer, M., Ainley, J. & Zubrick, S.R., The Mental Health of Children and Adolescents.
Report on the Second Australian Child and Adolescent Survey of Mental Health andWe l l b e i n g
, Canberra, Department of Health, 2015.
2.
Johnston, A.K., Pirkis, J.E. & Burgess, P.M., Suicidal thoughts and behaviours among Australian adults: findings from the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing, Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2009, 43, pp. 635–43. Ross, A.M., Kelly, C.M. & Jorm, A.F., Re-development of mental health first aid guidelines for suicidal ideation and behaviour: a Delphi study, BMC Psychiatry, 2014; 14: 1

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