Stanford goalkeeper’s suicide highlights need for parents to talk with their children about mental health

After Stanford senior Katie Meyer, 22, shocked her household when she dedicated suicide with none detectable warning indicators, her dad and mom are urging households to have an trustworthy dialog about psychological well being with their kids – it doesn’t matter what their age, in line with a current NBC Information report. 

“Sadly, we won’t predict who’s going to go on to die by suicide,” mentioned Julie Cerel, psychologist and director of the Suicide Prevention & Publicity Lab on the College of Kentucky. 

“Suicide does not discriminate.”

Meyer, from Newbury Park, California, was majoring in Worldwide Relations, which she mentioned, “modified my perspective on the world and the crucial challenges that we have to work collectively to overcome.”

She was additionally the group captain and star goalkeeper on the Stanford Ladies’s Soccer Group who, ” … made two important saves in a penalty shootout in opposition to North Carolina to assist Stanford win its third NCAA girls’s soccer championship in 2019,” the Stanford College assertion learn in half. 

Described by her associates “as a larger-than-life group participant in all her pursuits,” her life was seemingly entering into a constructive route, in line with a number of stories.

Stanford goalkeeper Katie Meyer shakes palms with teammates earlier than a sport
(Lyndsay Radnedge/Stanford Athletics by way of AP)

STANFORD SOCCER STAR KATIE MEYER, 22, DIED BY SUICIDE, CORONER SAYS

Her associates adored her, she impressed her teammates and she or he had a loving household, who spoke to her by way of FaceTime a few potential journey to Cancun hours earlier than she died.

“We had no pink flags, no pink flags that something was incorrect, that she was upset,” mentioned Katie’s mom Gina Meyer on TODAY.

However her dad and mom worry a possible disciplinary motion from Stanford could have contributed to her loss of life.

“Katie, being Katie, was defending a teammate on campus over an incident and the repercussions of her defending that teammate (have been probably leading to disciplinary motion),” Katie’s father Steven Meyer informed TODAY.

It might be troublesome to discern suicidal warning indicators in younger individuals as a result of typical warning indicators like sleeping too little or an excessive amount of, temper swings and withdrawing socially can even resemble regular conduct in a teenage and younger grownup, per the information outlet. 

Mind growth, particularly the half that offers with planning and self-control, continues till roughly age 25, mentioned Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Brody, head of the College of North Carolina’s division of psychiatry. 

Folks comparable in age to Meyer are “more likely to behave on impulse,” Meltzer-Brody added.

In response to the American Psychiatric Affiliation, another warning indicators of suicide embrace: speaking or writing about loss of life, actually saying, “It could be higher if I wasn’t right here,” making feedback about being nugatory, elevated alcohol or drug use, reckless conduct and speaking about feeling trapped or being a burden to others.

However Cerel famous, “The one dependable warning indicators are earlier suicide makes an attempt or speaking about eager to die.”

“Regardless of how outwardly profitable somebody appears to be, their mind is telling them, ‘individuals can be higher off with out you,’” she added.

However these ideas are usually not restricted to a selected group of younger individuals as suicide is the third main reason behind loss of life for 15- to 24-year-olds in the US, in line with the group, Suicide Consciousness Voices of Schooling. 

Annoyed mum speaking to upset teenage woman.
(Fox Information)

Cerel advised the next ice-breaker for folks to begin the psychological well being dialog with their kids: “Hey, we noticed the suicide of this actually superb younger athlete. What would you do should you have been ever feeling this method?” 

Specialists advocate to begin speaking about psychological well being early and routinely fairly than ready for warning indicators that will by no means come, per NBC Information.

A psychological well being check-up must be as mandatory as a bodily, mentioned Emily Mudd, a pediatric psychologist at Cleveland Clinic Kids’s Hospital.

FLORIDA FATHER SUES SCHOOL AFTER DAUGHTER’S SUICIDE ATTEMPTS, SAYS GENDER COUNSELING HIDDEN FROM PARENTS

It’s vital to “create an surroundings in your house the place your youngster feels prefer it’s secure to reveal issues,” Mudd mentioned.

Suicide is preventable and a few protecting elements are frequent contact with well being care suppliers, efficient psychological well being care, sturdy relationships and studying problem-solving and battle decision abilities, in line with the American Psychiatric Affiliation.

“You could have any individual who has been liked to the ends of the earth and again from the day she was born,” Steven Meyer mentioned. “You may love them totally, however you might not perceive them totally.”

In the event you or somebody who know is in want of assist, name the Nationwide Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, textual content HOME to 741741 or go to www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org.