K R IS TI P R IC E ’ 1 5

ILLIN O IS C O LLE G E

Illinois College Explorer Internship Summer 2013

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Disclosure

All funding for this project was provided by SIU-SOM Psychiatry Department

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Overview of Presentation

Summary and expectations of the Internship

The Research Project Research Process and Results

Recommendations

What I Learned

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THE INTERNSHIP: Summary

Research Project

Collect and analyze data

Produce a final product

Dr. Jan Hill-Jordan, PhD and Dr. Bennett, MD

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THE INTERNSHIP: Clinics

Dr. Bennett, MD

Thursdays 1-5 pm

Developmental Disabilities Intellectual and other types of mental illnesses

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K R IS TI P R IC E ‘ 1 5 , ILLIN O IS C O LLE G E

D R . J A N H ILL - J O R D A N , P H D , S IU - S O M

D R . J E F F R E Y B E N N E TT, M D , S IU - S O M

THE RESEARCH PROJECT Suicides in School Settings: The

Importance of an Audience

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Suicide in the U.S.

Definition of Suicide: Death caused by self-directed injurious behavior with any intent to

die as a result of the behavior

10th leading cause of death overall (2010) 38,364 suicides 105/day Firearms among males (56%) Poisoning among females (37.4%)

90% have a diagnosable mental illness Age Group Differences 15-24 (3rd leading cause of death) 25-34 (2nd leading cause of death) 35-54 (4th leading cause of death) 55-64 (8th leading cause of death)

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Suicide in The U.S. 8

Suicide-Shooting Incidents in Schools

Definition of a Suicide-Shooting Incident

School shooting incidents in which the shooter committed suicide after possibly also killing others in a mass homicide

1983-2012 in the United States

57 Cases

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22

16

University/Adult

High School

Elementary/Middle School

0 5 10 15 20 25

Type of School

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Suicide-Shooting Incidents in Schools 1983-2012

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20 15

6 16

REGIONS

35.1%

26.3%

10.5%

28.1%

West

Midwest

Northeast

South

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Objective

Primary Research Question

Does the mental health of an individual impact the decision to commit suicide and possibly mass murder in a school setting?

Is the individual’s mental health related to:

Type of Weapons Used

Use of Multiple Weapons

Type of Incident (murder/suicide or suicide only)

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Objective

Secondary Research Question What other contextual variables may have impacted the

individual to commit suicide and possibly mass murder in a school setting?

Age

Type of School

Type of Incident

Weapon Selection

Multiple Weapon Use

Region

Population

Romantic Relationships

Motive

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Methods: Data Collection

Two online databases

Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence

http://www.bradycampaign.org/

The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America’s Schools by Jesse Klein

http://jessieklein.com

57 cases (1983-2012)

Data collection sheet *

Newspaper articles and books

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Methods: Data Analysis

Created a database using Excel

Determined frequencies using SPSS

Determined relationships between variables using cross-tabulation and Chi-Square testing

Quantitative research Emphasize the objective measurements and numerical

analysis of data

Focuses on gathering numerical data and generalizing it across groups of people

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Findings

Primary Outcomes

The presence of mental illness increased the likelihood that the suicide-shooter used multiple weapons

The presence of mental illness increased the likelihood that murder and suicide was committed during the suicide-shooting incident

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Findings

Secondary Outcomes Age is related to the type of shooter

0-19 = Current or former student of the institution 20 and older = Other

Age is related to the type of incident committed 0-19 = Suicide only 2o and older = Murder and suicide

Age is related to the type of school the incident occurred 0-19 = Elementary, Middle School, and High School

20 and older = University or adult education

Region is related to the use of multiple weapons 1) Western, 2)Midwest/New England, and then 3) South

The use of multiple weapons is related to the type of incident (murder/suicide or suicide only) The use of multiple weapons increased the likelihood that a shooting and a

suicide occurred

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Recommendations

Implement Suicide Prevention Programs in Schools Characteristics associated with increased suicide: mental illness including

depression, conduct disorders, substance abuse, family stress/dysfunction, environmental risks (presence of a firearm in the home), and situational crises (death of a loved one, physical or sexual abuse, family violence, etc.)

Many students who are suicidal display warning signs including suicide notes and plans, a preoccupation of death, and changes in their behavior or mood

Mental Health Education Classes Schools, businesses, and other institutions that may have to interact with people

with mental illnesses Educate students, faculty, and employees about mental illness

Support for the Mentally Ill in Schools Decline in school performance, persistent difficulty with peers, constant worry or

anxiety, continuous frequent agression, etc. can all be signs that a student may need a mental health professional.

Effective collaborations developed between the schools and other child serving systems

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What I Learned…..

“Adult Status”

Research Process

Research=Dedication

Stigma of Mental Illness

Acknowledgements

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