As alarming as statistics on teen suicide in Michigan are, many experts say difficulties in determining the cause of a child's death and the way data are collected mean the problem is likely larger than it appears.
Barb Smith of the Saginaw County chapter of Yellow Ribbon, a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to youth suicide prevention, said the number of teen suicides is likely two to three times the official total because of how difficult it is to tell whether a death was intentional or accidental.
Dr. Dean Sienko, Ingham County medical examiner, agrees.
When investigating a child's death, he sometimes performs a psychological autopsy -- an in-depth examination of a child's mental health through conversations with friends, family members and anyone who can shed light on a child's frame of mind. He sometimes uncovers intense depression, sexual identity issues, bullying or abuse.
Survivors will scrape for any shred of evidence to dispute his findings, he said. "I've had parents very angry at me for even suggesting suicide."
Critics also question the accuracy of a state database on suicide attempts or threats of suicide on school grounds. They say that because the data are self-reported by districts, it opens the door to underreporting.
Kurt Metzger, director of the Detroit Area Community Information System -- a think tank that analyzes data from metro Detroit -- said schools tend to report enrollment data accurately because the numbers are audited and school funding is tied to them. But there are no such requirements or firm guidelines on reporting suicide threats or attempts.
The Center for Educational Performance and Information (CEPI), which collects the data, says it compares numbers from similar-sized districts to look for anomalies. CEPI notifies the district of anything it considers questionable and asks the district to change it "if appropriate," said Tom Howell, acting director.
But there is no penalty if districts don't change their data. To see more of the Detroit Free Press, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.freep.com Copyright (c) 2009, Detroit Free Press Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.
Copyright (C) 2009, Detroit Free Press