Depression, Suicide, and Computer Science Education

Note: If you or anyone you know are experiencing signs of depression or suicidal ideation, please reach out to local healthcare professionals or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

In honor of national suicide prevention week, in this week’s episode I read a paper I wrote on the topic of depression, suicide, and computer science education. This paper is formatted into the following sections: 1) A vignette on my own experiences coping with depression and suicide; 2) Statistics on depression and suicide as it relates to various populations computer science educators work with; 3) A vignette of a computer science educator helping a student through depression and suicidal thoughts; 4) Risk factors and warning signs; 5) Suggestions for providing support; 6) A vignette from a computer science educator's perspective on a student who committed suicide; and 7) Closing thoughts.

Learn more about National Suicide Prevention Month/Week/Day.

All other episodes

  • Welcome back to another episode of the

    CSK8 podcast

    my name is jared o'leary this week's

    unpacking scholarship episode is

    actually myself

    reading a paper that i have modified

    that i originally wrote and presented

    for a conference in 2017.

    so the this episode is titled depression

    suicide and computer science education

    now the reason why i'm releasing this

    particular episode on this date

    is because september in 2020 is national

    suicide prevention month

    this week that this is releasing is

    national suicide prevention week

    and september 10th of 2020 is world

    suicide prevention day

    now just as a disclaimer in the show

    notes and in every slide of the youtube

    video that this is

    being displayed on is a link to the

    national suicide prevention lifeline

    which is 1-800-273-8255

    and again this is in the show notes and

    it is in every single slide if you're

    watching this on

    the youtube channel and

    if you are at all experience any signs

    of depressions

    or suicidality i highly recommend

    reaching out to either that number or

    some other

    healthcare professional who can help you

    now as i mentioned

    some slides on the youtube link so this

    session is a little bit different

    i am not going to be editing this

    particular podcast episode so if i mess

    up saying sentence

    i'll restate it if the doorbell rings i

    will ignore it

    if things get

    raw in terms of emotion i will do my

    best to try

    and speak clearly because

    i have not yet been able to read through

    this paper

    without kind of breaking down at some

    point either by getting choked up or

    just

    straight up crying and the reason why

    i'm sharing this to you raw

    and unedited is because i want you to

    see that

    this is an important topic and it is

    something that we need to talk about and

    i don't want to hide my emotions around

    this topic

    from anybody because this is something

    that has

    impacted the majority of my life

    i also want to note that in the second

    and third

    vignettes in this particular episode i

    use the singular they

    and its derivative there along with

    gender neutral pseudonyms to maintain

    anonymity within this paper so these

    vignettes are compilations of various

    students

    i'm aware of and stories and teachers

    and are not intended to represent any

    single educator

    student or story

    okay so with all that being said i'm

    going to start with the paper itself

    and again on the youtube channel if you

    watch the youtube version it has

    some slides that kind of emphasize with

    some visuals

    some of the key important things about

    this however you can listen to the

    entire episode in podcast format

    and it should hopefully make sense as

    long as i can clearly articulate what it

    is

    that i am saying

    okay so the purpose of this paper is to

    spread

    awareness about depression and suicide

    in order to help computer science

    educators

    support students with coping with

    depression and suicidal ideation

    the subject matter within this paper is

    deeply personal to me

    and has been difficult to write about i

    spent the larger part of a decade coping

    with suicidal ideation and depression

    however i have used my experiences to

    help others

    through depression and suicidal thoughts

    and hope this paper encourages

    current listeners or viewers to do the

    same

    this paper is formatted into the

    following sections

    one a vignette on my own experiences

    coping with depression and suicide

    two statistics on depression and suicide

    as it relates to various populations

    computer science educators work with

    and three a vignette of a computer

    science educator helping a student

    through depression and suicidal thoughts

    four risk factors and warning signs

    five suggestions for providing support

    six a vignette from a computer science

    educator's perspectives

    on a compu student who committed suicide

    and seven some closing thoughts so again

    i want to reiterate that this is a heavy

    topic

    and if you ever need support reach out

    to a mental health care

    professional or simply contact

    which in the united states is the

    national suicide prevention lifeline

    okay vignette one jared that's me

    so i spent months thinking about how i

    would kill myself

    i frequently debated the likelihood of

    success

    amount of cleanup and how much my

    decision might affect others

    with my dad being a police officer and

    former swat team member

    a gun may have provided a quick method

    for achieving my goals

    however i honestly had no idea if he

    even owned a gun

    as i seldom saw him with one pills or

    chemicals provided the

    opportunity to kill myself from the

    inside out but i was afraid my stomach

    would reject

    such poisons and failure was not an

    option

    i was worried cutting my wrists would

    affect my ability to play the drums

    which is an ironic concern considering

    the intended result

    on several occasions while driving by

    myself i debated shifting lanes into

    oncoming highway traffic

    despite my mental instability i reasoned

    it was unfair to take from others what i

    wanted to take from myself

    i tried killing myself through pure

    exhaustion by pushing myself to extremes

    walking across streets without looking

    in either directions

    or simply crying myself to sleep hoping

    i would never wake

    after months of ideating i settled on a

    method

    most teenagers i knew seemed to pay

    little attention to the concrete medians

    used to protect vehicles from falling

    off raised freeway overpass entrances

    the concrete divides scattered across

    long straightaways

    often utilize crash barriers to lessen

    the impact of a potential collision

    although the intended although intended

    for safer driver conditions

    these concrete medians became my method

    of choice for completing suicide

    the concrete divide i was unfalteringly

    careening toward

    on a now unknown evening contained no

    such life-saving technologies

    and had a long straightaway serving as

    my runway into non-existence

    i gripped the steering wheel screamed a

    long obscenity

    and applied more pressure to the gas

    pedal

    my car's engine could assist with the

    process no more than it already had

    i took a deep breath and unbuckled my

    seatbelt

    its design purpose lowered the success

    rate of my plan

    my car's engine was straining to keep up

    with the heavy foot on the pedal

    the speedometer was reaching its limits

    well over 100 miles per hour

    although slightly obscured by a muddle

    of tears and headlights from oncoming

    traffic

    in the opposing lane my carefully

    selected target was in sight

    my internal struggles would finally be

    over

    in hindsight there are no immediately

    identifiable risk factors correlated

    with a few times i nearly attempted

    suicide as previously described

    despite my chronic depression i had a

    happy childhood with great parents

    friends and family members my likelihood

    for attempting suicide increased slowly

    over the years

    as my depression worsened first one

    reason and then another

    chipping away my resolve to live

    compounding my desire to die

    these thoughts consumed my time and

    energy more than i tried to let on

    and i morphed into a walking shell of a

    human being whose existence

    was devoted to whatever could keep my

    mind occupied

    largely music and video games

    i was fortunate to have started

    percussion lessons and banned classes a

    little over a year prior to onset of my

    gradual descent into depression and

    suicidal ideation

    although i love making music for music's

    sake practicing rudimental percussion

    became one of my coping mechanisms

    music making allowed me to temporarily

    suppress my thoughts of self-harm

    so i found ways to practice as much as i

    could

    for example i carried a spring-loaded

    doorknob in my pocket so i could work on

    left-hand rotation for traditional grip

    while walking between classes practice

    technique i learned in high school from

    a world champion snare drummer

    so it must be good right i even had a

    pair of drumsticks i kept in my car

    so i could drum on the steering wheel at

    red lights

    on the few occasions where a door knob

    or sticks were not in my hands

    i utilized visualization techniques to

    mentally practice

    various exercises and show music each

    moment absorbed in developing my

    abilities and understandings as a

    musician

    was a moment away from thoughts of

    self-harm

    my experiences with music literally

    saved my life

    although practicing temporarily

    suppressed my thoughts of self-harm

    and working with other musicians

    provided a sense of belonging

    where i otherwise felt disconnected or

    unknown

    some of the music instruction i received

    exacerbated my thoughts of self-harm

    in particular some of the music

    educators would joke

    about how a particular musical passage

    sounded so bad that quote

    they would rather throw themselves off

    the top of the stadium than listen to

    another repetition

    end quote these jokes

    resurfaced my own thoughts of self-harm

    in an environment where i sought to

    escape them

    in another ensemble i was required to

    participate in for school

    one of the instructors treated me in a

    manner that led to my psychiatrist

    prescribing anxiety medication

    to help diminish the severe anxiety

    attacks i had before each of our

    required rehearsals

    unfortunately incidents like these were

    not isolated

    nor were they infrequent

    ultimately it is because of my amazing

    experiences with music and education

    and some of the unfortunate instruction

    that accompany these experiences

    i decided to pursue degrees in music

    education

    and eventually work in computer science

    education in order to help others who

    might experience similar struggles as i

    it is with this paper i hope to expand

    awareness of the pervasiveness of

    suicidality

    and depression among the students we

    work with so our field can work together

    to help those who feel alone with their

    struggles

    the following section describes

    statistics on suicidal ideation and

    depression in school-aged youth

    so to statistics on suicide

    worldwide suicide is leading cause of

    mortality for adolescents

    as an estimated 800 000 people

    complete suicide each year averaging to

    or one completed suicide every 45

    seconds

    suicide is one of the leading causes of

    death among all ages in the united

    states

    and is among the top three causes of

    death for u.s

    teens more teens and young adults

    die by suicide than from all other

    illnesses combined

    according to a report from the centers

    for disease control and prevention

    in the united states

    this averages to 12.6 suicides per 100

    suicide every 13 minutes

    however suicidality is even more

    pervasive than these numbers appear

    as some estimate there are 100 to 200

    attempts

    for every completed youth suicide and

    others note

    childhood death by suicide are

    underreported due to a reluctance to

    indicate

    a child completed suicide

    a 2013 nationwide study by the cdc

    indicates

    one in six high school students

    seriously considered suicide

    one in seven students created a plan for

    committing suicide

    one in 13 students reported trying to

    commit suicide

    and 1 in 37 students made an attempt

    requiring medical attention in the year

    preceding a survey

    a 2007 youth risk behavior survey

    reported

    similar slightly smaller percentages

    while adolescents between ages 12 and 17

    have a national suicide rate of 5.18

    suicides per 100 000 people youth

    between

    ages 5 and 11 have a national suicide

    rate of 0.17 suicides per 100

    different demographics

    so for example worldwide 4.1

    females per 100 000 complete suicide

    while 10.5 males per 100 000 complete

    suicide

    and i don't have data outside of that

    false binary so my apologies for that

    in china southern india and singapore

    this tendency is reversed

    for ages five through fourteen one in

    every two thousand females

    or one in every one thousand one hundred

    eleven males commits suicide each year

    in the united states adolescent females

    are more likely to report suicidal

    ideation

    while adolescent males are four times

    more likely to die by suicide

    for example in the united states between

    and 2012 553 boys

    and 104 girls completed suicide

    suicidal ideation or the thoughts of

    harming or killing oneself

    in adolescence is somewhere between 12

    and 30 percent

    and peaks around 12 years of age for

    boys and 14 years of age for girls

    between 1993 and 1997 suicide ranked

    as cause of death among black children

    aged 5 through 11

    but ranked 9th between 2008 and 2012.

    among hispanic students in grades 9

    through 12

    committing suicide

    one in six students created a plan for

    committing suicide

    one in nine students reported trying to

    commit suicide

    and one in 24 students made an attempt

    requiring medical attention

    in the year preceding a survey

    native and indigenous ethnic minority

    teenagers between the ages of 15

    and 19 tend to have a higher suicide

    rate in new zealand

    australia canada and the united states

    in australia indigenous teenage females

    were 5.8 times more likely to complete

    suicide than non-indigenous peers

    with a rate of 18.7 suicide suicides per

    suicides per 100 000 non-indigenous

    people

    indigenous males were 4.4 times more

    likely to complete suicide than

    non-indigenous peers

    with 43.4 suicides per 100 000

    indigenous people compared with 9.9

    suicides per 100

    states

    native american and alaskan teenagers

    are 1.7 times more likely to die by

    suicide

    method for suicide varies by access to

    means gender

    and age in the united states the three

    leading methods of suicide among youth

    were

    firearms hanging and poisoning

    firearms was the method of choice in 45

    of suicide cases however the cdc notes

    firearms was not the most common method

    for males

    excuse me however the cdc notes firearms

    was

    the most common method for males while

    poisoning was the most common method for

    females

    in most other western countries the most

    common method

    are hanging and suicide by vehicular

    exhaustion

    followed by suicide by firearms and

    poisoning

    in some eastern countries pesticides are

    the predominant

    method of choice while some believe

    stricter gun and pesticide laws

    assist with decreasing suicide rates

    others believe such restrictions

    lead to substitutions for other methods

    for example

    in children age 5-11 hanging or

    suffocation were the most prevalent

    method of suicide between 1993

    and 2012. accounting for 514 of the 657

    reported deaths by suicide

    a survey of teachers in queensland

    australia revealed

    one in three teachers were exposed to at

    least one student committing suicide

    during their tenure as a classroom

    teacher

    of these teachers nearly one half were

    exposed to one

    student's suicide

    one in four were exposed to two student

    suicides

    and one in three were exposed to three

    or more

    student suicides the suicide statistics

    among school-aged children present a

    need for classroom teachers and support

    staff to be

    aware of risk factors warning signs and

    methods

    for support however studies on teachers

    knowledge of suicide indicate many feel

    underprepared to help others through

    suicidal ideation

    so let's talk about stats of depression

    so feeling depressed differs from

    clinical depression

    clinical depression lasts at least two

    weeks in length and may include a

    variety of

    detrimental symptoms a typical

    depressive episode among children and

    adults

    lasts between seven and nine months with

    a 40

    recurrence rate within two years and a

    however chronic depression can exist for

    years

    unlike adults depressed children are

    less likely to engage in serious suicide

    attempts

    but instead demonstrate other symptoms

    these symptoms can negatively impact a

    person's life

    for example depressed adolescents are

    high school

    and 6 percent less likely to enroll in

    college than those without depression

    unlike suicidal acts requiring medical

    treatment depression can remain

    unnoticed or under-reported

    as many people suffering from depression

    do not seek treatment

    for example riston found nearly one in

    eight university music students who

    responded to a survey received treatment

    for depression

    however one in 11 of those suffering

    from depression

    symptoms did not seek treatment the

    tendency for people suffering from

    depression symptoms to not seek

    treatment

    may contribute to discrepancies in

    reported rates of depression among

    various populations

    depression affects nearly 340 million

    people worldwide

    including 18 million people in the

    united states

    callan halen and pascar estimate between

    and one in 11 adolescents ages 12 to 18

    have major depression while brent and

    brimah suggest about one in 20 students

    and one in 100 of children have

    depression

    others estimate comparable ranges among

    children and teenagers

    however mariette all suggests by the age

    of 19

    between a fifth and a quarter of young

    people have suffered from a depressive

    disorder

    major depressive disorders among

    children occurs at the same rates for

    girls and boys

    whereas adolescent and adult females are

    twice as likely to have depression than

    males

    however females are 60 more likely to

    receive treatment than males

    and black adolescents are 50 percent

    less likely to receive

    treatments again different demographics

    matter

    given the pervasiveness of both

    depression and suicidality computer

    science educators

    are likely to encounter students who

    could benefit from a helping hand

    the following vignette describes how

    computer science educator helped a

    student

    vignette 2 chris and elliot

    it is amazing how context can alter

    one's perception of time

    chris was making the same relatively

    boring drive they made multiple times

    during the week

    from an outsider's perspective the trip

    might appear as any other

    however today's trip had urgency that

    stretched time in an almost tauntingly

    manner

    it was shortly after school when chris

    was updating their website with new

    projects to prepare for tomorrow

    morning's class

    when they received a text message

    although on vibrate for the school day

    the phone gave a familiar muffled chime

    in chris's pocket

    chris used an app to bypass vibration or

    silent modes if someone called multiple

    times in case of emergency

    however the app also allowed anyone on

    an emergency contact list

    to immediately ring through although the

    people on the emergency contact list

    infrequently contacted chris

    chris always carried a phone charger

    wherever they went and never let the

    phone's battery fall below 50 percent

    chris had an agreement with their

    school's principal that if someone on

    the emergency contact list

    reached out to chris they would need

    someone to cover their classes while

    chris was on the phone call

    the text was from elliott one of the

    people on the app's emergency's contact

    list

    elliot was your average kid with good

    friends a caring family

    and a healthy amount of uncertainty

    about future career aspirations in a

    variety of fields

    elliot liked playing video games until

    late hours of the night

    replicating the vocal qualities of their

    favorite screamo bands

    showing off the amount of mud caked on

    their vehicle after off-roading

    and prefer performing in a variety of

    music ensembles

    chris had worked with elliott for a

    number of years in an after-school

    coding club at another school

    over time chris began to notice a change

    in elliott

    elliott's grades dropped a little over

    time a result attributed to an

    increase in advanced placement courses

    but not so low to cause any concern

    the amount of drama between elliott and

    their friends fluxually

    fluctuated like a roller coaster but

    remained typical for the age group

    despite everyone being busy throughout

    the year family life remains stable and

    supportive

    elliot had lost weight over the years a

    likely consequence from an increase in

    physical activity

    drugs and alcohol did not appear to be

    the source of the gradual change

    chris fagley remembered overhearing

    parts of a story elliot told years ago

    about a distant family member's

    addiction to some now

    forgotten substance that caused elliott

    to avoid

    even taking anything for a headache

    elliott's inner crisis revealed itself

    not as a signal for help

    but rather a gradual surrender to life

    itself

    something about elliot's eyes gave it

    away

    a certain amount of light had faded away

    along with it

    elliot's previously unfaltering drive

    for learning how to code

    chris indirectly reached out to the

    coding club elliot participated in by

    sharing brief stories about how chris

    previously suffered from depression

    and how speaking with the counselor and

    friends helped

    these stories may have come across as

    when i was your age

    battle wounds but chris only told these

    stories when they thought someone

    could benefit from hearing them these

    stories

    and advice often related to computer

    science for example making statements

    such as

    like coding a program life comes with

    many bugs and challenges

    but it gets better with consistent

    effort and problem solving

    when elliot's eyes appeared particularly

    dull

    chris would reach out by saying if you

    ever need someone to talk to

    know i'm willing to lend an ear

    months before the unexpected text

    message chris met with their school's

    counselor to discuss subtle changes in

    elliott that concern chris

    chris shared experiences with depression

    and suicidal thoughts from christmas

    elliot's age

    as well as how chris along with other

    counselors helped students through their

    own struggles

    chris's intention was to recommend the

    counselor meet with elliot to

    potentially work through some feelings

    elliot may be struggling with

    after this meeting elliot started seeing

    a counselor multiple times a week

    and began taking antidepressants at the

    recommendation of their psychiatrist

    the pharmaceuticals acted like sandpaper

    on elliot's emotions

    by filing down peaks and valleys of

    emotion into a stable

    but numb state although not

    ideal this state of mind and resulting

    side effects were better than the

    emotions that led to the prescription

    in one of the counseling sessions the

    counselor asked elliot to create a list

    of people to contact if they ever had

    suicidal thoughts

    elliot promised to contact everyone on

    the list if things got bad

    chris was the first on that list

    in the text message chris received

    elliot indicated not achieving something

    they had been working

    toward for months although chris

    responded with validation evaluates

    feelings

    elliot's reaction appeared

    disproportionately large

    after a few exchanges of encouragement

    by chris and the hastily retorted shut

    down by elliot

    elliot indicated the self-described

    overreaction might have resulted from

    not taking medication for the past few

    weeks

    chris picked up the phone and called

    elliott

    on the other end of the line elliot was

    nearly silent and short on breath

    chris could hear a high amount of

    anxiety and hopelessness in elliot's

    voice

    and gently encouraged elliot to slow

    down the breathing as everything was

    going to be okay in the end

    elliot complied but was worried they

    would do something they couldn't that

    couldn't be taken back

    elliott was currently standing in their

    school's parking lot after

    school hours relatively safe for the

    time being

    hoping the fear would not show in their

    voice chris asked if elliot could stay

    there

    and wait for chris to arrive and speak

    in person

    elliot made a promise to not leave but

    did not want to talk on the phone while

    chris made the drive over

    while driving chris tried to contact

    others near elliott who might help

    however the after school hours made it

    difficult to find anyone near elliot

    so along that drive chris made a phone

    call to a 24-hour suicide hotline

    for advice the calming voice on the

    other end of the line

    asked questions about the situation in

    order to best understand how to help

    although the conversation helped

    district although the conversation

    helped distract chris

    from wondering if elliott would keep

    their promise to stay safe

    until chris's arrival the drives seemed

    to stretch on longer than usual

    upon arrival chris could immediately

    since elliott was in an agitated state

    elliot's eyes were frantically jerking

    back and forth as if searching for a

    lost

    object responses if any were short and

    firm

    elliot made it clear they did not want

    to speak to the other person on the

    phone

    however they agreed chris could act as a

    messenger between both parties

    the suicide hotline in elliott spoke

    through chris for what seemed like

    minutes

    but lasted over an hour by then elliot's

    pacing slowed

    the anguish and their voice became equal

    parts disappointment and embarrassment

    elliot's discourse shifted toward

    thinking about the future

    and began to thank both chris and the

    voice on the other phone on the other

    end of the phone

    a voice that elliot never heard although

    all parties agreed the crisis was

    averted and that regular check-ins by

    elliot

    and their counselor and chris would

    follow until there was no more cause for

    concern

    this was not the first time chris worked

    with healthcare professionals to help

    another person in this manner

    nor would it be the last

    okay the next section of the paper is

    risk factors and warning signs

    a variety of risk factors can contribute

    to depression and suicide ideation

    these include mood or psychological

    disorders such as depression

    anxiety borderline personality disorder

    anhedonia low self-esteem hopelessness

    psychosis conduct disorder or

    impulsivity

    externalizing problems eating disorders

    and other forms of self-harm

    substance abuse such as alcohol and

    drugs prenatal drug exposure

    social pressure isolation motivation to

    die or escape

    socio economic difficulties due to

    recessions or unemployment

    sexual orientation local suicide

    epidemics and amount of exposure to

    suicide

    physical or chronic illness loss of

    relationships due to death

    divorce or living apart general family

    discord

    poor parents child connection or low

    parental supervision

    intragenerational or cultural classes

    clashes with parents

    familial history of suicide and

    psychopathology

    child maltreatment associations with

    deviant peer groups

    ease of access to lethal methods the

    number of barriers to accessing mental

    health treatment

    and a discomfort for support systems

    of all these risk factors the greatest

    risk factor for suicidality

    is previous suicide attempts having any

    one of these symptoms

    might not indicate depression or

    suicidal ideation

    however the level and severity of

    psychiatric disorders positively

    correlates with suicidal risk

    in addition a positive correlation

    exists between depression and suicide

    with two or more

    simultaneous disorders or illnesses in

    effect notice

    co-morbidity

    potential warning signs for depression

    and suicidal ideation

    may include the following changes in

    behavior

    an increase in impulsivity or aggression

    anxiety irritability and frustration

    lacking cooperation running away or

    threatening to run away

    withdrawing from family or friends

    changes in quantity of sleep or food

    consumed

    lower academic achievement or scores

    general loss of interest

    fatigue or loss of energy diminished

    ability to concentrate

    neglected personal appearance or

    interests

    reported aches and pains talking or

    writing about suicide or death

    feelings of worthlessness or excessive

    guilt hurting oneself

    or substance abuse in my own experiences

    with suicidal ideation and depression

    i made efforts to hide my warning signs

    from many close friends and family

    members because i was afraid of what

    others might think if i shared my

    suicidal thoughts

    in the second vignette chris was able to

    identify warning signs and worked with

    healthcare professionals to provide a

    multitude of support for elliott

    after noticing subtle changes over a

    prolonged period of time

    unlike most classroom teachers many

    computer science educators have the

    opportunity to work with a student over

    many months or years

    which may allow us to identify warning

    signs and provide support as needed

    however computer science educators may

    find it difficult to identify

    warning signs when working with hundreds

    of students

    or focusing too much on academic

    learning outcomes

    unfortunately in one of in one study of

    high school teachers

    nearly one in two teachers concerned a

    student might be suicidal

    reported they did nothing i'm going to

    repeat that statement for emphasis

    nearly one in two teachers concerned a

    student

    might be suicidal reported they did

    nothing

    chef tal at all also found suicide

    intent was decla disclosed to another

    person

    before death with time for intervention

    in nearly one in three completed

    suicides

    so given these stats how might educators

    and communities

    provide support for those displaying

    warning signs for depression or suicidal

    ideation

    next section of the paper providing

    support

    children and early adolescents may not

    initiate a conversation about their

    internal struggles

    so computer science educators can assist

    by responding to potential warning signs

    in particular computer science educators

    can assist by recommending students

    speak with the school counselor

    psychologist or music therapist or as in

    the case of the second vignette

    recommend a healthcare professional

    reach out to the student

    some students may feel uncomfortable

    visiting a mental health care

    professional on their own

    one option for addressing this concern

    is asking a student if they would feel

    more comfortable if a trusted adult were

    also present

    if knowledgeable of the local and school

    reporting protocols and laws

    and if computer science educators feel

    comfortable doing so

    we may lend a listening ear validate

    their emotions

    and let the person know we are there for

    them otherwise immediately

    connect students with healthcare

    professionals

    when listening to students it may be

    appropriate to share personal examples

    of having worked through similar

    thoughts or emotions with a healthcare

    professional

    however take care to maintain a focus on

    active listening

    rather than shifting the focus to the

    conversation

    about your own experiences whenever a

    conversation like this occurs

    or there is a perceived cause for

    concern we can speak with our school's

    counselor

    psychologist or music therapist for

    further resources and advice

    when a school's healthcare professional

    is unavailable we can reach out to

    organizations such as

    the national suicide prevention lifeline

    for free resources

    and confidential 24 7 hotline

    much like the hotline chris called for

    professional advice in the second

    vignette

    the sooner a student in need has access

    to resources and support

    the better on an individual level

    computer science educators

    might work with counselors to identify

    and avoid words that exacerbate

    negative states of mind or acts of

    self-harm

    for example when the music educator of

    the in the introductory vignette joked

    about completing suicide

    contemplating suicide during the

    rehearsal this triggered my own thoughts

    of self-harm

    as another example one of the students i

    previously worked with would engage in

    bulimic

    activities when they heard the word

    perfect

    avoiding this one word assisted with a

    recovery process

    for classes computer science educators

    might work with local healthcare

    professionals to develop lessons or

    projects incorporating

    interpersonal problem solving building

    positive emotional and interpersonal

    skills

    fostering awareness of mental disorders

    as common and treatable

    and promoting the acceptability of

    seeking treatment computer science

    classes or programs may find ways to

    incorporate these lessons or projects

    within team building experiences

    cs classes or programs may also assist

    with developing a sense of community or

    connectedness

    an important proactive factor for

    suicide

    excuse me an important protective factor

    for suicidal youth

    by exploring essential questions such as

    how might cs develop a sense of

    community

    schools interest in providing support

    for teachers should move beyond raising

    awareness

    and following protocols but increased

    general knowledge

    and abilities for working with students

    coping with suicide ideation and

    depression

    this includes program for early

    adolescence during high suicide ideation

    rather than only during high school

    years during high mortality rate

    schools might also partner with local

    health care professionals to offer

    community education events

    or create distributable educational

    resources

    communities may also assist by

    increasing access to or funding for

    research on

    healthcare treatment or by regulating

    access to means such as firearms

    pesticides and

    or medications

    although the suggestions for support may

    help

    there are no guarantees each method of

    support will work for everyone

    for instance side effects from

    antidepressants can cause even worse

    symptoms to arise

    and some intervention programs may

    increase depressive symptoms

    in addition children who commit suicide

    often act on impulse rather than

    adolescents

    who plan suicide over longer periods of

    time

    so warning signs might go unnoticed

    the following vignette describes how

    even when people work together to help

    someone through a

    suicidal ideation warning signs may go

    unnoticed

    this is vignette 3 alex and sam

    sam was introducing a project to their

    class

    when someone caught excuse me let me

    start this again

    sorry this is the hardest section for me

    to read

    was introducing a project to their class

    when something caught sam's attention

    alex was sitting in the back of the room

    pretending to hang a noose around their

    neck

    while everyone else watched the project

    demonstration

    although sam initially interpreted the

    act as a harsh commentary on how little

    alex enjoyed the project

    a glimmer of sadness in alex's eyes gave

    away a deeper meaning

    alex was so young

    sam had the class began working on the

    project and then discreetly asked alex

    to enter their office attached to the

    computer lab alex reluctantly agreed and

    appeared to assume impending scolding

    sam stood in front of the office window

    in order to monitor the classroom while

    speaking with alex

    you're not in trouble sam said i just

    want to check to see if everything is

    all right

    alex immediately burst into tears a

    relative of alex had recently passed

    away

    and alex felt very sad sam validated

    alex's feelings

    and the two of them spoke moments longer

    class

    was almost over sam just wanted to give

    alex a hug and say everything was going

    to be okay

    when the classroom teacher arrived sam

    spoke in private about the brief

    conversation with alex

    the class stood there and talked quietly

    about their plans after school

    seemingly unaware of the private

    conversation alex's classroom

    teacher apologetically indicated alex

    was having a rough day

    and was not surprised of the uncovered

    catalyst the sudden changes in behavior

    now made sense

    once the class had left sam walked to

    the principal's office at a moderate

    pace

    sam donned a goofy smile accompanied by

    a wave while walking by other classes in

    the hallway

    causing quiet giggles and a wave from

    dozens of tiny hands

    when sam arrived at the principal's

    office sam gave a look of concern

    and requested to shut the door to speak

    in private

    the principal knew sam had a history of

    identifying kids who needed to speak

    with the school's counselor

    so they attentively listened they both

    agreed alex needed to speak with the

    school's counselor before school let out

    a deadline rapidly approaching words

    cannot describe the amount of

    uncertainty and fear

    when concerned about a child's life

    over the next few weeks sam made a point

    to check in on alex

    with those who knew about the

    conversation they had things were

    getting better

    actually things were getting

    significantly better

    the behavior issues diminished and alex

    shed no more tears

    the weekly conversations with the school

    counselor appeared to be helping

    on one particular class sam felt that

    they could see the

    the light in alex's eyes again alex was

    smiling and laughing with friends while

    they shared their latest coding projects

    with each other

    and sam wanted to tell alex how well

    alex was doing in class but missed the

    opportunity

    while talking with other kids before

    they left for home sam made a mental

    note to speak with alex about it before

    the next class

    sam arrived at school the following

    morning

    and noticed some teachers quietly

    speaking in the corner of the

    multi-purpose room

    the look on their faces was a mixture of

    disbelief reflection

    and sadness

    words cannot describe what it felt like

    when sam heard the source of their

    emotional conversation

    alex had completed suicide

    closing thoughts every student in a cs

    program or community

    has their own reason for participation

    which may include a desire to help

    excuse me

    which may include a desire to obtain a

    job in a cs related career

    pure hedonic enjoyment through mod

    practices or even a healthy escape from

    a variety of struggles

    this paper began with a vignette

    highlighting some of my own struggles

    with depression and suicidal ideation

    my experiences with music began as a

    curiosity

    morphed into a mental escape and slowly

    transitioned into a method for helping

    others

    through both music education and

    computer science education

    the other two vignettes highlight

    perspectives from computer science

    educators during critical moments when

    working with someone suffering from

    depression or suicidal ideation

    however the day-to-day warning signs and

    risk factors may be less recognizable

    the actions taken by chris and sam

    provide some examples of the ways we can

    respond to potential warning signs in

    order to support students who may be

    experiencing depression or suicidal

    thoughts

    chris initially reached out to elliott

    through indirect anecdotes while

    addressing a small group of students in

    an after-school coding club

    however elliot's depression appeared to

    worsen so chris worked with elliott's

    counselor and elliott to provide a

    support team that regularly checked in

    sam on the other hand immediately sought

    help with the school's principal and

    counselor

    because alex's warning signs indicated a

    greater risk for self-harm than eliot's

    depression

    in my own experiences working with youth

    in a variety of context

    i feel it is better to offer support for

    those who may not need any

    than to reach out to someone who is in

    need of support

    at the very least reaching out on a

    misidentified warning sign

    may encourage future referrals of

    friends in need of support

    and it lets a person know that they have

    an adult in their life who can validate

    their feelings

    and guide them to necessary support when

    times are difficult

    in addition when uncertain if someone is

    displaying warning signs

    or if someone does not feel comfortable

    sharing with me i immediately contacted

    my school's counselor to ask

    if they can provide support

    considering the aforementioned

    prevalence of suicide and depression

    among youth

    computer science educators should extend

    best efforts to help others

    who might need guidance or support every

    year

    since starting my career in education i

    have identified several people in a

    variety of context

    and demographics and grade levels k

    through graduate

    who benefited from some support for

    either depression or suicidal ideation

    given the statistics of both depression

    and suicidality

    it is likely each of us will encounter

    multiple opportunities to extend a hand

    for support

    our profession could further assist

    others by not only extending support

    but by encouraging diversity in the ways

    students express themselves through the

    projects that create nrcs classes

    these efforts may not only help others

    create with

    and learn computer science but may save

    lives

    i want to thank you very much for making

    this far and for listening and for

    watching

    as a reminder please call the national

    suicide prevention lifeline if you ever

    need somebody to speak with

    the number again is 1-800-273-8255

    my only request for this episode is just

    please consider sharing this

    the stats suggest that this is something

    we're all going to have to grapple with

    at some point during our career

    and i think this message needs to be

    shared widely

    so thank you for considering doing that

    and i hope you

    stay tuned next week for another episode

    where i'll actually be

    creating a super cut of various

    interviews that have been done in the

    past and kind of combining all the ways

    that

    the guests have recommended taking care

    of themselves and staving off burnout

    kind of piggyback onto this particular

    message

    so again thank you so much for listening

    that was

    hard for me to read i hope

    you got something out of it and i

    hope you're all staying safe and are

    having a wonderful week


More Content