The Intervention Strategies focused on suicide crisis

In the way of treating the youth suicide issue, the microsystem of youth seems to play an

important role since the individuals in the microsystem are involved in the development

process of youth. The individuals in the microsystem concerned with the intervention of

youth suicide include the parents, teachers, and counsellors. The interventions for a youth

who is engaged in a suicide crisis are divided into three stages, containing prevention, early

intervention, and postvention.

Prevention

The main preventive is the elimination or changing of environmental and

interpersonal characteristics that are typically related to suicide (McWhirter et al., 2017, p.

254). In this stage, parents, teachers, and counsellors are interrelated and required to

cooperate or communicate with each other in order to prevent the youth suicide crisis. The

interventions in youth suicide prevention should be holistic, multidimensional, and integrated

because the youth problems that involve or outside the school setting are interconnected

and may lead to suicide crises (Keys & Bemak, 1997, p. 257).

An effective way to manage the youth issue involving or outside the school setting at

the same time is school bonding. School bonding is often referred to as school involvement,

connectivity, and attachment which links the youth to their schools. It helps youth to

overcome life’s problems and achieve achievement through engaging with other students

(Bryan et al., 2012).

In Emelia’s case, Emelia is overwhelmed by the stress that mostly comes from the

family broken issue. She keeps expecting on her stepfather will come back, but reality has

poured cold water on her. School bonding is effective in helping Emelia to transform her

attention from the emotional dependence on her stepfather or the family stressor to the

connection with individuals in the school. The strong relationship between Emelia and her
peers will help her eliminate her suicidal thought and suicidal tendency when Emelia

receives encouragement and attachment from the school that can help to compensate for

the lack of sense of belongings in the family.

Besides, the way to prevent youth suicide includes running groups (Paisley & Milsom,

2007). The thematic groups are especially significant because they "bring together the youth

who facing similar issues and allow counsellors to effectively make use of their time and

expertise" (Zinck & Littrell, 2000, p. 51). The study showed that group counselling has

proven particularly beneficial in resolving and avoiding youth conflicts in a wide range of

areas including the youth suicide issue.

In Emelia’s case, Emelia lacks someone who enables her to express her passive

emotions and thoughts. This situation leads her to struggle with emotional distress until she

becomes suffering in anxious and depressed. The group therapy can provide very real

support to Emelia since both group members had a similar experience. Thus, they can assist

each other in identifying effective coping skills (Fournier, 2005).

Early Intervention

Early intervention focuses on early stress and family issues (McWhirter et al., 2017,

p. 254). In this stage, the parents and teachers are crucial because they are the most

available individuals to children. Early intervention helps to reduce the incidence and degree

of suicidal thoughts in at-risk kids. Early intervention programs are concerned with crisis

response (Brock, Sandoval, & Lewis, 2001). Teachers, administrators, and counsellors are

among the members of the response-ready crisis team. This stage required the response-

ready crisis team members to develop referral resources and several procedures to solve the

crisis.

In this stage, the counsellor as a professional helper plays the primary role in crisis

response. First, the counsellors must determine the severity of the suicide risk. If a suicide
plan is detailed and fatal, or if the youth has a suicide attempt, counsellors must examine

the youth's stability and use appropriate referral processes. Second, the youth and the

counsellor create a written contract together. This contract must clearly state and

informs that the youth will not try suicide again before meeting with the counsellor. In

addition, the counsellor must offer the youth an emergency crisis contact or hotline (Gould

& Kramer, 2001).

The third stage is to observe. During the crisis, the youth must be observed for a

minimum of 24 to 72 hours. This may require an arrangement for hospitalization or a suicide

watch, while family members and friends monitor the youth's mood and conduct at all

times. Finally, when counsellors become aware of the youth’s suicidal thinking, they must

inform the parents of the dangers of suicide.

In Emelia’s case, when the counsellor noticed Emelia had engaged in a suicide

attempt, the counsellor can access Emelia’s mood stability. Next, the counsellor should

develop a written contract with her to stop her from her suicide attempt or suicidal

tendencies. Afterwards, Emelia will be under observation for 1 to 3 days. The counsellor also

requires informing Emelia’s parents about her condition regarding her suicidal thoughts.

Postvention

When a youth commits suicide, the attention changes to damage control (McWhirter

et al., 2017, p. 254). There is a significant lot of pain in the event of youth suicide. Surviving

families, peers, and coursemates of the suicide victim sometimes require postvention or

follow-up treatment. The individual, group, or family counselling may be required to assist

them in coping with the experience. The counsellor could encourage the community

members and students to share information and discuss the suicide topic to help avoid

cluster suicides. Undoubtedly, after committing suicide, mental health specialists and school

staff have crucial roles. The most of postvention interventions include the family and school.
 In the family context, after a committed suicide, family members may suffer feelings

of guilt, blame, and embarrassment. At the same time, they also feel grief, hopelessness,

and helplessness. The family therapist or counsellor must give special attention to the

demands of the remaining family after death. They should try to understand the family

members’ views and feeling on the suicide event.

In Emelia’s case, the counsellor should provide family counselling services to Emelia’s

family members, including Emelia’s mother and her younger brother. During the counselling

session, the counsellor can provide the resources needed by Emelia’s family members to

overcome the effect of suicide done by Emelia. For instance, the counsellor can provide

much support and power to them by using counselling skills. The counsellor also can ask

Emelia’s family to figure out the blueprint of the family. This method helps the family to

adapt and adjust to their new life.

In the school setting, the school staff can share information on suicide, assist

survivors in coping with their losses, and provide counselling to individuals who may require

special care. The school should discuss suicide with the students because the reluctance of

discussing self-destructive activity puts other students in danger. When discussing suicide,

the school should give the students time to grieve.

In Emelia’s case, the school’s teacher or counsellor can try to discuss and explore the

suicide topic with Emelia’s friends, classmates, and students. The school staff also need to

give ample space or time for the students to grieve. During the grieving process, the school

counsellor will also be aware of the students’ changes in emotional and psychological

aspects.

References
McWhirter, J. J., McWhirter, B. T., McWhirter, E. H., & McWhirter, A. C. (2017). At risk youth

(6th ed.). Cengage Learning.

Keys, S. G., & Bemak, F. (1997). School-family-community linked services: A school

counseling role for changing times. School Counselor, 44, 255–263.

Bryan, J., Moore-Thomas, C., Gaenzle, S., Kim, J., Lin, C-H., & Na, G. (2012). The effects of

school bonding on high school seniors’ academic achievement. Journal of Counseling &

Development, 90, 467–480.

Paisley, P. O., & Milsom, A. (2007). Group work as an essential contribution to transforming

school counseling. Journal for Specialists in Group Work, 32, 9–17.

Zinck, K., & Littrell, J. M. (2000). Action research shows group counseling effective with at-

risk adolescent girls. Professional School Counseling, 4, 50–59.

Fournier. (2005). Assessment, treatment, and prevention of suicidal behavior. Group

therapy and suicide, 42(10), 42-6160-42-6160. https://doi.org/10.5860/choice.42-6160

Brock, S. E., Sandoval, J., & Lewis, S. (2001). Preparing for crises in the schools: A manual

for building school crisis response teams (2nd ed.). New York: Wiley.

Gould, M.S., & Kramer, R. A. (2001). Youth suicide prevention. Suicide and Life Threatening

Behavior, 31 (Suppl.), 6-31.