By Nancy Shute
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers, and it's a tragedy that can be prevented. Given that almost 15 percent of high school students say they've seriously considered suicide in the past year, parents and friends need to know how to recognize when a teenager is in trouble and how to help.
Parents can be clueless when it comes to recognizing suicide risk factors, or at least more clueless than teens. In a new survey of teenagers and parents in Chicago and in the Kansas City, Kan., area, which appears online in Pediatrics, both parents and teenagers said that teen suicide was a problem, but not in their community. Alas, teen suicide is a universal problem; no area is immune.
The teenagers correctly said that drug and alcohol use was a big risk factor for suicide, with some even noting that drinking and drug use could be a form of self-medication or self-harm. By contrast, many of the parents shrugged off substance abuse as acceptable adolescent behavior. As one parent told the researchers: "Some parents smoke pot with their kids or allow their kids to drink."
Both teenagers and parents said that guns should be kept away from a suicidal teen. But since parents said they didn't think they could determine when a teenager was suicidal, parents should routinely lock up firearms, the researchers suggest. That makes sense. Firearms are used in 43.1 percent of teen suicides, according to 2006 data, while suffocation or hanging accounts for 44.9 percent.
The good news: Both parents and teenagers in this small survey (66 teenagers and 30 parents) said they'd like more help learning how to know when someone is at risk of committing suicide and what to do. Schools and pediatricians should be able to help, but we can all become better educated through reliable resources on the Web. These authoritative sites list typical signs of suicide risk, and they also provide questions a parent or a friend can ask a teenager to find out if he is considering killing himself. Here are good places to start:
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry lists signs and symptoms of suicidal thinking, such as saying things like "I won't be a problem for you much longer."
The American Academy of Pediatrics urges parents to ask the child directly about suicide. "Getting the word out in the open may help your teenager think someone has heard his cries for help."
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free advice to someone considering suicide, as well as to friends and relatives, at 800-273-TALK.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness's teenage suicide page makes the point that talking with someone about suicide will not "give them the idea." "Bringing up the question of suicide and discussing it without showing shock or disapproval is one of the most helpful things you can do," the NAMI site says. "This openness shows that you are taking the individual seriously and responding to the severity of his or her distress."
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Teen depression and suicide risk linked to late bedtimes and chronic sleep deprivation
A report from the Jan. 1, 2010 issue of the journal Sleep found a surprising link between the typically late bedtimes of teenagers and teen depression and suicide.
Parent-set bedtimes affect teen's mental state
Adolescents with parent-set bedtimes after midnight had a 24% increased incidence of depression and a 20% increase in suicidal thoughts compared to teens with a bedtime before 10 pm.
Most of the teens in the study reported adhering to the bedtimes their parents set for them, showing that it's up to parents to give appropriate guidelines for avoiding sleep deprivation.
Length of Sleep Matters for Adolescents
The length of sleep matters, too, according to the researchers. Teenagers who reported getting less than five hours of sleep a night had a 71% higher risk of depression and a 48% higher risk of suicidal thoughts than adolescents who got 8 hours or more of sleep.
The AASM (The American Academy of Sleep Medicine) recommends nine or more hours of sleep a night for adolescents.
The study was conducted by James E. Gangwisch, PhD, assistant professor at Columbia University Medical Center in New York, N.Y and colleagues and looked at over 15,000 teenagers' sleep habits and mental states. The teens in the study ranged from 12-17 years old.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
How Suicide Cleanup is Undertaken
Suicide cleanup is a part of the broad based service of Crime Scene Cleanup which involves crime and trauma decontamination and restoring it to its previous state. It is a a niche market in the cleaning industry and involves cleaning the biologically contaminated scene of ones death like suicide, homicide or accidental death. or a scene of a methamphetamine lab.
Broadly speaking, crime scene cleanup and suicide cleanup is almost same but there are few exeptions to this rule. Suicide cleanup requires some extra physical effort and psychological sensitivity that the technicians should be able to handle.
Following are some examples illustrating this. A suicide generally involves close range of weapon to body and so in-depth decontamination and thorough cleaning is required. The cleaners also have to handle family members who might be present at the scene searching for answers that why their beloved person decided to end his/her life. The technicians need to remove all traces of any evidence of a suicide so that no remains are present for family members and friends that might remind them of the tragedy.
Restoring of a suicide scene also means clean and restore sentimental items that mean the lot to the family of the deceased and requires additional time and effort.
On a visual inspection of any suicide scene you will generally find a lot of blood and bodily fluids, but invisible to the eye, a great amount of biohazard contamination is also bound to be there. The suicide cleanup technicians have to search thoroughly in all areas, even those that can not be seen or accessed easily and remove all traces of them from the scene. Most suicide cleanup services have their staff trained in not only dealing up with decontaminating and cleaning up issues but also about dealing with family and friends with sensitivity and compassion. Since most of such companies work in association with leading insurance companies so they can even help you to bill the insurance company directly thus saving you all the hassles.
A suicide cleanup consists of the following steps.
Firstly the scene should be evaluated. Next all contaminates should be located and decontaminated. A thorough search should me made again to decontaminate any traces of contaminates that might have been left out. All types of bio hazardous agents should be properly disposed of. Any microscopic remains should be treated with chemicals and the environment should be treated for odors. Last but not the least all tools and equipments should be disinfected. But before you attempt to clean a suicide scene on your own it is always better to consult a trained professional first.
Broadly speaking, crime scene cleanup and suicide cleanup is almost same but there are few exeptions to this rule. Suicide cleanup requires some extra physical effort and psychological sensitivity that the technicians should be able to handle.
Following are some examples illustrating this. A suicide generally involves close range of weapon to body and so in-depth decontamination and thorough cleaning is required. The cleaners also have to handle family members who might be present at the scene searching for answers that why their beloved person decided to end his/her life. The technicians need to remove all traces of any evidence of a suicide so that no remains are present for family members and friends that might remind them of the tragedy.
Restoring of a suicide scene also means clean and restore sentimental items that mean the lot to the family of the deceased and requires additional time and effort.
On a visual inspection of any suicide scene you will generally find a lot of blood and bodily fluids, but invisible to the eye, a great amount of biohazard contamination is also bound to be there. The suicide cleanup technicians have to search thoroughly in all areas, even those that can not be seen or accessed easily and remove all traces of them from the scene. Most suicide cleanup services have their staff trained in not only dealing up with decontaminating and cleaning up issues but also about dealing with family and friends with sensitivity and compassion. Since most of such companies work in association with leading insurance companies so they can even help you to bill the insurance company directly thus saving you all the hassles.
A suicide cleanup consists of the following steps.
Firstly the scene should be evaluated. Next all contaminates should be located and decontaminated. A thorough search should me made again to decontaminate any traces of contaminates that might have been left out. All types of bio hazardous agents should be properly disposed of. Any microscopic remains should be treated with chemicals and the environment should be treated for odors. Last but not the least all tools and equipments should be disinfected. But before you attempt to clean a suicide scene on your own it is always better to consult a trained professional first.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Shooting near Jersey City playground
Dozens of police officers and emergency workers are at Montgomery and Florence streets in Jersey City where a shooting has left a pile of blood-soaked snow just about 10 feet from a playground, Jersey Journal reporter Michaelangelo Conte reports from the scene.
It is unknown right now if more than one person was shot and how severe the injuries were.
Two ambulances left the scene about 10 minutes ago and police have taped off the area as they take photographs and investigate.
An officer just called for a biohazard cleanup of the snow so no children play in it.
The playground serves kids in the various buildings of the Montgomery Gardens public housing complex.
Monday, October 5, 2009
It takes four months, but Hamilton pays $15,000 to fix, clean dead man's house
By SULAIMAN ABDUR-RAHMAN
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Deborah Thomeier said she has a “renewed faith in the government of Hamilton Township” after it acted “efficiently and quickly” in cleaning up and structurally rehabbing her dead next-door neighbor’s property on Joan Terrace.
“My husband (Joe) and I are very pleased with the speed and the efficiency of the township. ... The property looks 100 percent different,” Thomeier said, referring to the household of the late Edward Bratton, 86, who died of natural causes and was found as a rotting corpse inside his house June 13.
At that time, the interior of the home was littered with garbage and the house’s exterior was covered with vines and tree branches.
Township officials described the interior as a “biohazard” and deemed the rear area of the house to be structurally unsound.
The Thomeiers and other neighbors on the 100 block of Joan Terrace went on the offensive at a July public meeting, accusing the township of being inept at addressing their concerns about the dilapidated and filthy conditions of Bratton’s home.
The township said it couldn’t take action right away because Bratton, a retired state worker, had no known next of kin who could grant them permission to rehab the property. Consequently, the township had to enter a prolonged legal process to rectify the situation.
The township by early September obtained the authority to go to work, spending $8,800 of taxpayer money for a private company to clean the interior and using federal block grant money to pay for the $7,000 structural fixes and demolition of the house’s dilapidated rear.
Rob Warney of the township’s Department of Community Planning and Compliance told The Trentonian the entire clean-up and structural rehabbing was completed last month.
“We have no complaints at this point. We’re just happy it’s over with,” Deborah Thomeier told the newspaper on Thursday. “They did a nice job. They really did. ... I didn’t expect it to be done by the end of September.”
Staff writer
HAMILTON — Deborah Thomeier said she has a “renewed faith in the government of Hamilton Township” after it acted “efficiently and quickly” in cleaning up and structurally rehabbing her dead next-door neighbor’s property on Joan Terrace.
“My husband (Joe) and I are very pleased with the speed and the efficiency of the township. ... The property looks 100 percent different,” Thomeier said, referring to the household of the late Edward Bratton, 86, who died of natural causes and was found as a rotting corpse inside his house June 13.
At that time, the interior of the home was littered with garbage and the house’s exterior was covered with vines and tree branches.
Township officials described the interior as a “biohazard” and deemed the rear area of the house to be structurally unsound.
The Thomeiers and other neighbors on the 100 block of Joan Terrace went on the offensive at a July public meeting, accusing the township of being inept at addressing their concerns about the dilapidated and filthy conditions of Bratton’s home.
The township said it couldn’t take action right away because Bratton, a retired state worker, had no known next of kin who could grant them permission to rehab the property. Consequently, the township had to enter a prolonged legal process to rectify the situation.
The township by early September obtained the authority to go to work, spending $8,800 of taxpayer money for a private company to clean the interior and using federal block grant money to pay for the $7,000 structural fixes and demolition of the house’s dilapidated rear.
Rob Warney of the township’s Department of Community Planning and Compliance told The Trentonian the entire clean-up and structural rehabbing was completed last month.
“We have no complaints at this point. We’re just happy it’s over with,” Deborah Thomeier told the newspaper on Thursday. “They did a nice job. They really did. ... I didn’t expect it to be done by the end of September.”
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Why You Need Crime Scene Cleanup Services
Crime scene cleanup, trauma scene cleanup or biorecovery after the death of someone either violently or naturally is by and large the responsibility of the victim’s family. Even till few years ago, there were a handful of cleaning companies that specialized in trauma cleaning service. But today this niche service has emerged and there are many companies who provide this service.
Trauma cleaning service requires special experience, skills, equipment and expertise to deal with different types of bio-hazardous waste and dispose them efficiently with the minimum possible emotional stress to the victim’s family.
The most traumatic form of death is violent death and leaves the victim’s family feeling both victimized and traumatized. Coming to terms with the death of a loved one is in itself an uphill task for the bereaved family, and to top it off they have to deal with other practical matters like making funeral arrangements, dealing with insurance issues, contacting surviving family and friends and locating wills. Furthermore, in case of violent crimes the police and the media are also involved. This can really overwhelm any family. Here is where trauma cleaning service comes to your rescue. They lighten one of the heaviest burdens that are of dealing with the horrid aftermath. They will take care of the crime/death scene cleanup, ensuring that the scene is restored to its pre-incident state as far as possible and in the most quick and efficient manner thus allowing you to deal with other important matters. Most service providers work discreetly and protect the confidentiality of the decedent and family.
Most of the times, the crime scenes are so ghastly that they can induce additional emotional trauma on victim’s friends and family. By hiring professionals for this cleanup, you can reduce this emotional stress. Immediately after death Mother Nature begins its process of breaking down the body. Unattended death scenes and dead bodies can be dangerous as it gives rise to blood borne pathogens, viruses and bacteria. You may try to clean the area by yourself but the exposure may result in flu-like diseases or direct attack on the respiratory system. So it is advisable to leave this job to professionals who specialize in bio fluid and blood remediation.
The total cost involved in a trauma scene cleanup will depend on a number of factors. One of the largest factors is labor, how many technicians will be needed to complete the job, how long will the job take and the quantity of medical waste disposal (red bags) that needs to be treated and disposed of. It can range anywhere in the range of $600 to $5000 per job. Some people might call this business as capitalizing on death but it is still essential and indispensable in case of a death.
In many states throughout the country, if the death is related to a crime, the State Victims Assistance program may make monies available to cover the cost of "crime & death scene cleanup." In other cases, homeowner policies may cover this cost as well.
What to look for in a cleanup contractor:
As with any type of contractor it is buyer beware! Always make sure the contactor is local to you (same state). There are many cleanup contractors who advertise on the internet that are many states away, thus dollars away. These companies either send their people long distances or hire a local company and mark up the invoice. Why pay these high cost when it is unnecessary. There are licensed, qualified companies in every major metropolitan area in the United States. Never pay for a company that is based out of state. To locate a local company visit our website at www.biorecovery.com and click on nationwide directory in the left column. Check to see if the company you have chosen is a member of a non-profit association that deals with this industry-currently there is only one association, that being the American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA). You can verrifiy a company be logging onto www.americanbiorecovery.com and clicking on service providers, to see if they are indeed a member of this non-profit group.
Additionally, always check for the proper insurance and ask for a certificate of insurance and be listed as an additional insured. Many companies do not carry the correct insurance, they have janitorial insurance which will not cover you should an incident arise during the cleanup. Biohazard cleanup contractors should carry general liability insurance for blood cleanup as well as having contractor’s pollution liability insurance and workers compensation insurance for the state they are working in.
Are your cleanup contractors licensed to transport medical waste? If they are charging you for "red bag" transport and disposal, they must be licensed by the state in which they operate, ask for a copy of their license. If they do not have one, or say they have another company who will transport this "red bag" waste, stop and get another company that is licensed, ultimately, you are responsible for this hazardous waste should be mishandled.
NEVER EVER sign a work authorization or contract for service without reading and understanding what these documents are. Once you sign them you are responsible for what they say. There are many horrific stories about companies from Illinois, and other states that charge tens of thousands of dollars for a job that may have cost $3500.00 from a reputable company, but because you signed their agreement without understanding the ramifications of such, like how charges are calculated, you are now stuck with an invoice for $25,000 dollars. These companies will sue you or lien your real property to recoup there payment. Your insurance company will not cover costs that are not customary to the work performed. This is not meant to scare you or change your mind about using a biorecovery type company, it is meant to educate you. You are in the midst of one of the worst times of your life; don't let unscrupulous companies take advantage of you-hire a local company that has a verifiable track record.
Trauma cleaning service requires special experience, skills, equipment and expertise to deal with different types of bio-hazardous waste and dispose them efficiently with the minimum possible emotional stress to the victim’s family.
The most traumatic form of death is violent death and leaves the victim’s family feeling both victimized and traumatized. Coming to terms with the death of a loved one is in itself an uphill task for the bereaved family, and to top it off they have to deal with other practical matters like making funeral arrangements, dealing with insurance issues, contacting surviving family and friends and locating wills. Furthermore, in case of violent crimes the police and the media are also involved. This can really overwhelm any family. Here is where trauma cleaning service comes to your rescue. They lighten one of the heaviest burdens that are of dealing with the horrid aftermath. They will take care of the crime/death scene cleanup, ensuring that the scene is restored to its pre-incident state as far as possible and in the most quick and efficient manner thus allowing you to deal with other important matters. Most service providers work discreetly and protect the confidentiality of the decedent and family.
Most of the times, the crime scenes are so ghastly that they can induce additional emotional trauma on victim’s friends and family. By hiring professionals for this cleanup, you can reduce this emotional stress. Immediately after death Mother Nature begins its process of breaking down the body. Unattended death scenes and dead bodies can be dangerous as it gives rise to blood borne pathogens, viruses and bacteria. You may try to clean the area by yourself but the exposure may result in flu-like diseases or direct attack on the respiratory system. So it is advisable to leave this job to professionals who specialize in bio fluid and blood remediation.
The total cost involved in a trauma scene cleanup will depend on a number of factors. One of the largest factors is labor, how many technicians will be needed to complete the job, how long will the job take and the quantity of medical waste disposal (red bags) that needs to be treated and disposed of. It can range anywhere in the range of $600 to $5000 per job. Some people might call this business as capitalizing on death but it is still essential and indispensable in case of a death.
In many states throughout the country, if the death is related to a crime, the State Victims Assistance program may make monies available to cover the cost of "crime & death scene cleanup." In other cases, homeowner policies may cover this cost as well.
What to look for in a cleanup contractor:
As with any type of contractor it is buyer beware! Always make sure the contactor is local to you (same state). There are many cleanup contractors who advertise on the internet that are many states away, thus dollars away. These companies either send their people long distances or hire a local company and mark up the invoice. Why pay these high cost when it is unnecessary. There are licensed, qualified companies in every major metropolitan area in the United States. Never pay for a company that is based out of state. To locate a local company visit our website at www.biorecovery.com and click on nationwide directory in the left column. Check to see if the company you have chosen is a member of a non-profit association that deals with this industry-currently there is only one association, that being the American Bio-Recovery Association (ABRA). You can verrifiy a company be logging onto www.americanbiorecovery.com and clicking on service providers, to see if they are indeed a member of this non-profit group.
Additionally, always check for the proper insurance and ask for a certificate of insurance and be listed as an additional insured. Many companies do not carry the correct insurance, they have janitorial insurance which will not cover you should an incident arise during the cleanup. Biohazard cleanup contractors should carry general liability insurance for blood cleanup as well as having contractor’s pollution liability insurance and workers compensation insurance for the state they are working in.
Are your cleanup contractors licensed to transport medical waste? If they are charging you for "red bag" transport and disposal, they must be licensed by the state in which they operate, ask for a copy of their license. If they do not have one, or say they have another company who will transport this "red bag" waste, stop and get another company that is licensed, ultimately, you are responsible for this hazardous waste should be mishandled.
NEVER EVER sign a work authorization or contract for service without reading and understanding what these documents are. Once you sign them you are responsible for what they say. There are many horrific stories about companies from Illinois, and other states that charge tens of thousands of dollars for a job that may have cost $3500.00 from a reputable company, but because you signed their agreement without understanding the ramifications of such, like how charges are calculated, you are now stuck with an invoice for $25,000 dollars. These companies will sue you or lien your real property to recoup there payment. Your insurance company will not cover costs that are not customary to the work performed. This is not meant to scare you or change your mind about using a biorecovery type company, it is meant to educate you. You are in the midst of one of the worst times of your life; don't let unscrupulous companies take advantage of you-hire a local company that has a verifiable track record.
Couple sues landlord over mold in Bound Brook rental home
by Ryan Hutchins/For The Star-Ledger
BOUND BROOK -- A husband and his pregnant wife are suing their former landlords, accusing the Jersey City couple of failing to remediate "toxic mold" from the Bound Brook home they rented until May.
A complaint filed last week with Superior Court in Somerville alleges that the mold may have caused the health problems Floyd and Tabatha McColley suffered from while living in the Cedar Crest Road house, and also suggests that it had an impact on the woman's unborn child.
"There's a definite problem with the baby that will require... immediate action after birth," Floyd McColley said Thursday, but stopped short of saying mold is responsible for the unspecified medical issue that was diagnosed by an obstetrician.
The girl, expected in about two months, will be born at Columbia University Medical Center in New York "so she's right there with the best doctors when she's born," said Floyd McColley, who now lives with his wife in Brick Township, Ocean County.
The couple's complaint, filed on July 27 by attorney John Charles Allen of New Brunswick, claims Sameen and Yameen Khan, the Jersey City husband and wife who rented the house to them, failed to respond to complaints that there was "severe leaking" and "substantial growth of toxic mold" in the home they moved into in August 2008.
Both McColley's had become sick after living in the home, Floyd McColley said.
"It was a gradual worsening of symptoms," he said.
They had issues with being over-tired and had trouble breathing, said the husband, who's sickness were more pronounced.
"As a result of the defects to the property and more importantly, the hazardous conditions with the property, plaintiffs were forced to move out," the complaint says.
Both McColleys are healthier since leaving, said the husband.
After moving, the landlords hired contractors who the court filing calls unqualified and not properly equipped to remove the mold. The complaint says workers destroyed property left behind by the McColleys, and Floyd McColley, who hired his own mold expert, said Thursday that the mold was made worse by the contractors.
The Khans never paid for the cost of alternate housing or relocation, the complaint said.
Reached Thursday, Sameen Khan referred questions to the couple's attorney, Michael Wroblewski of New York.
"My clients vigorously deny the allegations and have acted responsibly through this matter," he said later that day, but didn't want to elaborate.
The McColleys' suit, which is requesting a jury trial, asks that the couple be awarded compensation for various damages, as well as legal fees.
Floyd McColley, a military contractor, said he and his wife moved to Bound Brook from Illinois after his employer called him back from Iraq to work in New Jersey.
The home appeared nice when they moved in, but the flooding started with the first rain storm, he said.
"We had high hopes of staying in this place only to find out we'd moved into a nightmare."
BOUND BROOK -- A husband and his pregnant wife are suing their former landlords, accusing the Jersey City couple of failing to remediate "toxic mold" from the Bound Brook home they rented until May.
A complaint filed last week with Superior Court in Somerville alleges that the mold may have caused the health problems Floyd and Tabatha McColley suffered from while living in the Cedar Crest Road house, and also suggests that it had an impact on the woman's unborn child.
"There's a definite problem with the baby that will require... immediate action after birth," Floyd McColley said Thursday, but stopped short of saying mold is responsible for the unspecified medical issue that was diagnosed by an obstetrician.
The girl, expected in about two months, will be born at Columbia University Medical Center in New York "so she's right there with the best doctors when she's born," said Floyd McColley, who now lives with his wife in Brick Township, Ocean County.
The couple's complaint, filed on July 27 by attorney John Charles Allen of New Brunswick, claims Sameen and Yameen Khan, the Jersey City husband and wife who rented the house to them, failed to respond to complaints that there was "severe leaking" and "substantial growth of toxic mold" in the home they moved into in August 2008.
Both McColley's had become sick after living in the home, Floyd McColley said.
"It was a gradual worsening of symptoms," he said.
They had issues with being over-tired and had trouble breathing, said the husband, who's sickness were more pronounced.
"As a result of the defects to the property and more importantly, the hazardous conditions with the property, plaintiffs were forced to move out," the complaint says.
Both McColleys are healthier since leaving, said the husband.
After moving, the landlords hired contractors who the court filing calls unqualified and not properly equipped to remove the mold. The complaint says workers destroyed property left behind by the McColleys, and Floyd McColley, who hired his own mold expert, said Thursday that the mold was made worse by the contractors.
The Khans never paid for the cost of alternate housing or relocation, the complaint said.
Reached Thursday, Sameen Khan referred questions to the couple's attorney, Michael Wroblewski of New York.
"My clients vigorously deny the allegations and have acted responsibly through this matter," he said later that day, but didn't want to elaborate.
The McColleys' suit, which is requesting a jury trial, asks that the couple be awarded compensation for various damages, as well as legal fees.
Floyd McColley, a military contractor, said he and his wife moved to Bound Brook from Illinois after his employer called him back from Iraq to work in New Jersey.
The home appeared nice when they moved in, but the flooding started with the first rain storm, he said.
"We had high hopes of staying in this place only to find out we'd moved into a nightmare."
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