NJ Poison Control raises alarms on suicides

Reports cites drastic rise among young females

By: Caltlin Brannigan
NorthJersey.com
USA Today Network - New Jersey

..... Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens and young adults in New Jersey. alarmingly, suicide attempts, particularly by poisoning, are increasing.
..... According to Diane Calello, executive and medical director of the NJ Poison Control Center at Rutgers Medical School, the Poison Center now receive calls about youth suicide attempts by poisoning every day.
..... "It is significant. It is scary," said Bruce Ruck, director of the NJ Poison Control Center at Rutgers Medical School.
..... "And we're seeing it in a younger and younger population, especially young females. ... We're now seeing 12-adn 13-year-olds, and younger."
..... Young women accounted for 80% of the center's total youth suicide attempt cases last year. [2022] Rates are also increasingly drastically in preteens, according to the center. Of the 1,400 poisoning-related youth suicide attempts the center helped treat, 933 involved people younger than 16.
..... The center's data is likely lower than the actual number of suicide attempts. This is because hospitals and other health care facilities do not need to report poison-related suicide attempts to the center, according to Calello.
..... "Our data only captures a snapshot of the true scope of this devastating public health crisis," Calello said. "Most people don't realize how common it is for adolescents and young adults to have suicidal though or attempt lethal means of self-harm. these instances are often only reported or discussed when someone has died."
..... This comes after a recent report by Trust for America's Health that youth suicide death rates for teens aged 10-17 increased by 71% between 2010 and 2021.
..... In this same age group, death rates doubled for girls.
..... Adolescent suicide rates in New Jersey increased during the pandemic. However, this upward trend also existed pre-pandemic, indicating that there are other factors at play. New Jersey's overall suicide death rate among adolescents and young adults rose 39% in 2016 to 2018 compared to 2007 to 2009, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
..... This data does not include attempted suicides.

Preventing suicide attempts by poisoning

..... According to Ruck, adults should keep medicine locked after each use to prevent prescription drug abuse and attempted suicide among adolescents and young adults. Children and adolescents should not be allowed to self-medicate.
..... "Audits in the home should also know which prescription and non-prscription medicines are in the house, regularly check pill quantities and pay attention to how often prescription medicines are being refilled," Ruck said.
..... Unused or expired medicines should be removed from the home and dropped off in a local drop box.
..... It's also important for parents, caregivers and friends to talk to teens about recognizing suicidal behaviors in peers.
..... "Often, an adolescent or young adult will express suicidal ideation to friends through texts or social media before attempting to sue a lethal means of self-harm," Ruck said. "Teaching youth to speak up - right away - can be a critical life-saving intervention for a person at risk of suicide."

Reach out if someone is struggling with mental health

..... To help adolescents struggling with their mental health, the most important thing to do is reach out for assistance, Ruck said. Parents and caregivers should reach out to mental health professionals or their pediatricians for guidance.
..... They can also reach out to their insurance company to find a practitioner in their medical plan. If there are none available, parents or caregivers should reach out to the state or national suicide hot line for assistance.
..... "Don't just sweep it under the rug and say it;s a phase," Ruck said. "Don't sweep in under the rug and say ... "They did badly on a test today.' We don't know. We never rally know the truth,. And even a kid that seems happy and is healthy, we often don't know what's going on under the surface."

How to help someone who has attempted suicide by poisoning

..... If someone has attempted suicide by poisoning, call the Poison Help Line immediately at 1-800-222-1222. You will be connected to a poison specialist who will quickly recommend appropriate medical care. The specialist will send an ambulance to your location if needed or direct you to the nearest hospital.
..... The specialist will then inform the hospital of the clinical situations and their initial hearth care recommendations, according to Calello.

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