Increasing Suicide Rate Among Children

Regarding your stories on child suicide, March 9, 10: Those of us who work professionally with children and adolescents in “quiet” crises know full well the consequences of not hearing, acknowledging and responding to their pain in a timely manner. Whether it is because parents are preoccupied with their own difficulties, or a school is without psychological resources, or the health care system doesn’t support appropriate interventions, many children are left to fend for themselves.

It is understandable that some parents become concerned that providing for a suicide prevention program may usurp some of their authority. However, schools cannot take away a prerogative that parents don’t first relinquish, by not responding to their children in the first place. Parents can legitimately expect that the person dealing with such sensitive issues be well trained, however.

The health insurance industry needs to shoulder more of the responsibility. Recently, an acutely suicidal teenage patient of mine desperately needed hospitalization. When the insurance company was called for authorization, they rejected the admission because they “wanted to save the patient’s benefits in case he needed them later in the year”; to which I replied, “Dead people don’t make claims!”

HARVEY F. BUZIN LCSW

Arcadia

* Your emphasis on the role that guns frequently play in suicides was particularly important. Since half of all gun deaths are suicides, it is crucial that our public discussion on gun violence move away from a narrow “crime” definition to a broad public health definition. This would allow for prevention strategies that take into account the broad spectrum of gun violence. Your articles were an important step in this direction.

VIRGINIA COINER CLASSICK

Woodland Hills

* It seems to me that some of the heartache and tragedy could be averted if parents were to take an active role in their kids’ lives. Emphasis on the word “active.” Parents need to be a part of their lives, not just the ones who feed and house them. Parents should make time for them: They should find out what interests them and what bothers them; do what they want to do and help them solve their problems.

I realize that some households have severe time constraints. For just one moment, parents ought to ask themselves how much of their child are they willing to sacrifice for a better life.

BOB ELA

Redondo Beach

* I was shocked to see little mention of one of the main causes of teenage suicide, sexual orientation. According to a 1989 federal study, up to 30% of all suicides are committed by those who are dealing with being gay or lesbian in a world that is very hostile toward them. In fact, if you were to ask adult gay men and lesbians, there would probably be a very high percentage who thought of or tried to kill themselves as teenagers.

MARK SATTERLEE

Los Angeles