megram - Index

megram - magazine - Index

Ottawa psychiatrist Dr. David
Palframan is a well-known expert in this
field. For the past 30 years he has committed
himself to helping parents, health care
professionals, and educators better understand
childhood depression and the importance
of identifying it, as early as possible.
In this article, Dr. Palframan provides
a reflective view on suicide and children:
what professionals can look for, and
what other symptoms and disorders are typically
associated with suicidal tendencies.
The death of a child is the ultimate
tragedy for parents, and death by suicide
is especially painful. By dying in
this manner, the child is saying that no
matter how much they were loved, it
wasn’t enough to sustain their life.
This message gives a strong hint of the
anger that propels a person towards
the decision to die. For the vast majority
of children with suicidal tendencies,
the urge to live does take precedence,
but the struggle in the interim
is painful and frightening. Doctors use
a checklist to determine the degree of
seriousness of suicidal behaviour.
KEY POINTS FOR
PROFESSIONALS
Depression carries with it the possibility
of suicide. A young person who
has these tendencies may be:
• Failing at school
• Dealing with a physical
disability (even acne)
• Receiving little social support from •
friends and family
• Impulsive by nature
• Having an explosive temper
Everyone in the child’s support
network should explore all possible
resources to help the child combat the
depression. Discussing suicide doesn’t
plant the idea. Rather, it allows for easier
communication about how awful
life is during a depression. This needs
to be acknowledged so that selfloathing
doesn’t take over.
Use tact and diplomacy in alerting parents about your concerns.
Know when to hand over intense problems to health care professionals.
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Due West Magazine • Page 53 • Fall 2008