STRIDES is a 10-week positive youth development program that is being implemented at Olympic Continuation High School in Los Angeles. STRIDES uses skill-building and 5k training sessions to decrease suicide risk factors by increasing self-esteem, self-efficacy and social support among students enrolled in the school's health class.
The program's skill-building sessions focus on topics such as stress management, positive body image, and goal setting. During the physical activity portion of STRIDES, participants train to run or walk a 5k. The topics covered in skill-building sessions are woven into the training portion of the program.
The culminating event of the program is a community 5k run/walk that acknowledges what the students have accomplished throughout the 10 weeks. The 1st Annual event took place on Sunday, November 21, 2010 at Dockweiler Beach in Playa del Rey. Nearly 150 community members attended the 5k event to show their support for the students.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for high school age students, and students at continuation schools have multiple risk factors. We hope this program will fill several gaps. First, most suicide interventions focus only at the level of crisis and not on the prevention of suicide risk factors. Second, these students may be lacking social and/or emotional support. We hope the skill-building sessions will help to build these support networks. Finally, Olympic Continuation High School does not offer extracurricular sports teams, so STRIDES' physical activity sessions increases exercise opportunities and the mental and physical health benefits associated with sports participation.
If you are interested in bringing STRIDES to your school or organization, please contact STRIDESLA@gmail.com.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Suicide Statistics and Prevention
Suicide is an important and preventable public health concern. Approximately one million people die from suicide each year worldwide. In youth, ages 15-24, suicide is the third leading cause of death, with a rate of 10 suicides per 100,000 youth. Additionally, there are 100-200 suicide attempts for every one suicide in youth ages 15-24, and every year, one in seven high school students seriously considers suicide. Suicide attempts are higher among young women, but completed suicide attempts happen more often in young men.
The government suggests reducing risk factors as a goal for suicide prevention, but the most prevalent form of suicide prevention is suicide crisis hotlines. While hotlines attempt to prevent the actual crisis from occurring, they do not address the risk factors that lead to the crisis. STRIDES aims to address several of these risk factors, while providing opportunity for building protective factors as well.
Suicide risk factors among high-school aged youth include but are not limited to: depression, having problems in school, substance abuse, feelings of hopelessness or isolation, lack of social support, low self-esteem, homelessness, or LGBT sexual orientation. Many students at continuation or alternative high schools experience several of these risk factors.
Suicide protective factors for youth include perceived social support, positive coping skills, and sport participation. As a suicide prevention program, STRIDES aims to build all of these protective factors through training as a team for the STRIDES 5k run/walk and providing participating youth with interactive group activities to build positive coping skills.
As part of our program, STRIDES hopes to increase community awareness about suicide in youth. By being aware of the warning signs in youth and the resources available, YOU can prevent suicide.
Warning signs include:
Specific behaviors parents/friends can look for:
Websites with more information about suicide prevention and youth suicide:
www.save.org
www.sprc.org
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
The government suggests reducing risk factors as a goal for suicide prevention, but the most prevalent form of suicide prevention is suicide crisis hotlines. While hotlines attempt to prevent the actual crisis from occurring, they do not address the risk factors that lead to the crisis. STRIDES aims to address several of these risk factors, while providing opportunity for building protective factors as well.
Suicide risk factors among high-school aged youth include but are not limited to: depression, having problems in school, substance abuse, feelings of hopelessness or isolation, lack of social support, low self-esteem, homelessness, or LGBT sexual orientation. Many students at continuation or alternative high schools experience several of these risk factors.
Suicide protective factors for youth include perceived social support, positive coping skills, and sport participation. As a suicide prevention program, STRIDES aims to build all of these protective factors through training as a team for the STRIDES 5k run/walk and providing participating youth with interactive group activities to build positive coping skills.
As part of our program, STRIDES hopes to increase community awareness about suicide in youth. By being aware of the warning signs in youth and the resources available, YOU can prevent suicide.
Warning signs include:
- Thinking or talking about suicide
- Substance use or abuse (increased use or change in substance)
- Purposelessness or hopelessness (no sense of purpose or belonging; nothing to live for)
- Anger
- Feeling trapped or feeling like there is no way out
- Withdrawal from family, friends, work, school, activities, hobbies
- Anxiety, restlessness, irritability, agitation
- Recklessness or high risk-taking behavior
- Dramatic changes in mood (suddenly happier/calmer after severe depression)
Specific behaviors parents/friends can look for:
- Giving things away, such as prized possessions
- Visiting or calling people one cares about after having been socially withdrawn
- Talking about suicide
- Making arrangements
Websites with more information about suicide prevention and youth suicide:
www.save.org
www.sprc.org
www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
How We Got Here
About seven months ago, we started a program planning and evaluation course series in our public health program at UCLA. The courses require that students - in groups of four - create a hypothetical community health program and evaluation. It was during these two quarters that we developed the concept behind the STRIDES curriculum with two other colleagues.
Several weeks into this process, we came across an opportunity to implement our hypothetical program through the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship - named in honor of the 1952 Nobel Peace Prize winner. The U.S. Schweitzer Fellowship was launched in 1992 with four goals in mind:
- To provide direct services that address health-related needs of underserved communities;
- To influence the professional development of students in health-related fields in ways that strengthen their commitment to public service;
- To alter the culture of professional schools to more effectively address the needs of their surrounding communities; and
- To support program alumni who continue in lifelong community service.
We are excited about the opportunities for collaboration with our fellowship colleagues and for guidance from an academic and site mentor and our LA fellowship directors.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
About Us
Co-Founders and Co-Directors
Anne Sutkowi and Ashley Roberts both received their Master of Public Health degrees from University of California, Los Angeles in the Community Health Sciences Department. Their academic interests and passion for running inspired them to start STRIDES.
Anne has an MPH and a BA in Psychology and has focused her career thus far doing research and program development regarding substance abuse, eating disorders, and mental disorders. She currently works at innovation Research & Training as a Research Specialist focusing on curriculum development and evaluation of medial literacy substance use prevention programs. Having seen first-hand the devastating effects of mental illness, she is committed to developing and implementing prevention efforts in adolescents.
Anne has been an avid runner since her first 5k with her dad in 6th grade. Since then, she has used long runs as a way to process difficult situations in her life, relieve stress or anxiety, and to simply take her mind off everything. Anne has completed two marathons and plans to train for a triathlon in the near future.
Anne learned through finishing two marathons that - in life - when you get to the point where you think you can't keep going, that's when you really learn what you're made of.
Ashley's professional background is in media relations, and she hopes to combine her interests in public health and media to communicate health messages to the public.
Ashley began running competitively in 7th grade and has never lost her passion for the sport. After competing as the only female on her high school cross country team, she ran Division I cross country at Northwestern University and has run six marathons since graduating in 2006. It was at Northwestern that Ashley discovered the positive impact that her teammates could have on her life. The relationships she has developed through running are still among the closest in her life.
Ashley is so enthusiastic about running that she convinced her now boyfriend to begin training for a marathon with her on the night she met him.
STRIDES Volunteers
We are currently looking for a few enthusiastic volunteers to take over the program at Olympic High School.
Anne Sutkowi and Ashley Roberts both received their Master of Public Health degrees from University of California, Los Angeles in the Community Health Sciences Department. Their academic interests and passion for running inspired them to start STRIDES.
Anne has been an avid runner since her first 5k with her dad in 6th grade. Since then, she has used long runs as a way to process difficult situations in her life, relieve stress or anxiety, and to simply take her mind off everything. Anne has completed two marathons and plans to train for a triathlon in the near future.
Anne learned through finishing two marathons that - in life - when you get to the point where you think you can't keep going, that's when you really learn what you're made of.
Ashley's professional background is in media relations, and she hopes to combine her interests in public health and media to communicate health messages to the public.
Ashley began running competitively in 7th grade and has never lost her passion for the sport. After competing as the only female on her high school cross country team, she ran Division I cross country at Northwestern University and has run six marathons since graduating in 2006. It was at Northwestern that Ashley discovered the positive impact that her teammates could have on her life. The relationships she has developed through running are still among the closest in her life.
Ashley is so enthusiastic about running that she convinced her now boyfriend to begin training for a marathon with her on the night she met him.
STRIDES Volunteers
We are currently looking for a few enthusiastic volunteers to take over the program at Olympic High School.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)