The Power to Prevent Suicide: A Guide for Teens Helping Teens

I often talk to teens who carry the burden of their friends' depression. They perceive parents and teachers as out of touch, so they try to handle each other's depression themselves. This can be stressful and even dangerous. If a friend confides suicidal thoughts and then actually commits suicide, the adolescent may have to deal with severe guilt and remorse. When I first saw the title of this book, I was afraid that the author was just going to try to train teens to be the primary therapists for their depressed peers. Actually this book is realistic but also quite responsible. It repeatedly warns teens not to keep silent when a friend is suicidal. This book helps teens recognize the signs of depression and suicidal thoughts in their peers, and suggests ways to help. It also talks about taking care of oneself after a friend has actually committed suicide. It does discuss the importance of going to a responsible adult if a friend is really in trouble. I often recommend this book.

Unlike many other books on adolescent psychology, this book takes more initiative in teaching teenagers to help each other during tough times. The tips included can be used immediately after reading them, and the authors stress certain important points repeatedly so that, although they may seem redundant to those who already know them by heart, no one can finish the book without having them permanently inscribed in their minds. The first person point-of-view style taken by the authors when explaining suicide helps, but not completes, a teenager's understanding of why his or her peers may consider suicide. There were a few detractions though. More fundamental information on depression as well as the increasing necessity to consider sexuality and ethnicity as aggravating factors in suicidal teens may have helped. A few sections were over-generalized, but the most important info (such as the "fact or fiction" of suicidal behavior) were well-covered. Combined with a book on teenage affected (i.e. emotional) disorders, alcohol/narcotics addiction, and/or risky environments (e.g. abusive families, violent neighborhoods, homogenous communities), whichever is helpful to the reader, this book can go a long way in reducing the heart-breaking statistics on suicide among young people. A newly revised edition with updated information is eagerly awaited.

Nelson & Galas have put together an excellent book packed full of information such as the myths, facts, risk factors and warning signs as well as how to prevent suicide from happening. This powerful book is geared towards teenagers to help each other but it is also an excellent resource as well for parents, teachers and para-professionals. As a graduate student in elementary education, I found this book easy to digest and relative to the issues facing todays teens. As a parent of four girls, my concern in the prevention of the skyrocketing suicide rate is of utmost importance. As I read, I was able to recall what life was like as a teenager and the high importance of some issues to teens of things that I now would think of as minor or temporary. I recommend this book highly for parents, teachers, school nurses as well as any teen (contemplating suicide or not). It is a MUST resource, and should be easily available for all who would benefit. Maybe if more people can understand why teenage suicide happens, we can recognize the distinguishable warning signs and be more successful in preventing it.