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New Web Site Attempts to Reduce Teen Suicide and Depression Across the Tri-State

Wednesday, February 01, 2006

CINCINNATI -- Attempted suicide in 29 Butler and Hamilton County schools continue to grow among teenagers and girls are at greatest risk, according to a suicide prevention survey handed out during in-school programs since 2001.

The suicide prevention program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, in collaboration with Carole Parrish of The J. E. & Z .B. Butler Foundation, was proposed in July 2000 to interrupt and circumvent the causal chain of suicidal behavior and close the gap of services for suicidal children and adolescents in the Cincinnati area.

Cathy Strunk, RN, suicide prevention expert in the Division of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Childrens, developed and implemented a multi-class curriculum in 2001, which focuses on:

• Stressors that contribute to depression / suicidal behaviors
• Adaptive and maladaptive behaviors in response to these stressors
• Signs and symptoms of depression and warning signs and risk factors of suicide
• Finding ways to help depressed / suicidal teens

Surviving the Teens™ is the new name for the suicide prevention program proposed by Strunk in 2004 following a real-life tragedy. On February 14, 2006, Surviving the Teens will launch a new web site.

"The new web site provides information for many stressful situations facing teens and families today, such as how to handle family conflict, how to talk to your teens, coping skills, and trauma or abuse," said Strunk.

The site also serves as a teaching tool for teachers in health classes and for Strunk who has instructed in-school programs for approximately 13,000 teenagers, 350 teachers and hundreds of parents in 29 area schools. The web site will help reduce lecture time for the in-school program and provide more time for discussion, role-play, videos and interaction among students and instructors.

Said Strunk, "I hope the implementation of the new web pages will encourage many more schools to participate in the program on their own or with my help."

Strunk plans to expand the program in the summer by offering presentations to parents, teens and those working with children in churches and other faith-based communities.

For more information on Surviving the Teens or its new web site, contact Strunk at cathy.strunk@cchmc.org or 513-602-7329.

Cincinnati Children's is a 423-bed institution devoted to bringing the world the joy of healthier kids. Cincinnati Children's is dedicated to transforming the way health care is delivered by providing care that is timely, efficient, effective, family-centered, equitable and safe. It ranks third nationally among all pediatric centers in research grants from the National Institutes of Health. The Cincinnati Children's vision is to be the leader in improving child health.