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ISHPEMING TWP. -- Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15-24 year olds nationwide.  Experts say it comes from greater expectations placed on young people coming from economic pressures to succeed and increased divorce rates.  But this real problem has some real solutions, starting with simple conversation.

"Just talk!"  That's the number one recommendation from psychology professionals who deal with teen suicide on a daily basis.  Prevention starts with detection, and the best way to detect a suicidal teen is to talk to them.  If a young person shows rapid changes in appearance including weight and wardrobe, a change in friends or a drop in grades, he or she could be suicidal, and prevention starts with a simple question.

"Do you think about ending your life?  Do you think about killing yourself?  In fact the research shows that people that are considering suicide desperately want to tell somebody, and if they are asked the question, they will give you the answer," said Westwood High School counselor, Larry Boburka.

One of the best resources that teens and their families have for suicide prevention is where they spend most of their day:  in school.

One-third of U.P. students have at least considered suicide, so it's important that schools are trained to detect the signs.  Guidance counselors can be helpful, but as Jayne Walbridge points out on our Facebook page, "Some kids are embarrassed to share feelings with a counselor."

At Westwood High School, a student group called the Westwood Action Troupe acts as a liaison between peers and adults.

"Our biggest role as being members of Action Troupe is getting feedback from the kids and reporting it to these trained officials like our guidance counselor," said member Kris Edmark.

The student group also visits classrooms across the U.P., educating peers about suicide prevention.  Once a young person has been identified at risk of suicide, a school counselor or parent should direct them to professional help, like a psychologist.

Below are some suicide support links:

http://www.pathwaysup.org/

http://www.westwoodactiontroupe.webs.com/ 

http://www.afsp.org/ 

http://webb.nmu.edu/Centers/CounselingAndConsultation/SiteSections/SelfHelp/Suicide.shtml 

http://upspc.dialhelp.org/ 

http://www.sprc.org/