Teen suicides rise in Snohomish County; experts offer warning signs (VIDEO)



EVERETT  --  The numbers are alarming.  According to the health department, thirteen Snohomish County teens have committed suicide since September, compared to just one case in all of 2013.

“That's not only alarming, that makes me nauseous,” says Scott Caudel.

Caudel's 12-year-old daughter, Amber, 5, is one of them, taking her own life on May 7th.

"I look back on it and I can see the little tell-tale signs that I couldn't see then,” says Caudel.

In a survey of 12,000 students, the Snohomish County Health Department found one in five teens seriously thought about killing themselves.

Experts say boys are at an even higher risk.

Best-selling author Gregory Jantz says social media can be a double edged sword, as some teens face bullying from classmates.

“There’s a rise in bully behavior and we add what I call digital bullying,” says Jantz.

He says even parents need to be careful about how they deal with teens, especially on social media.

“Shaming could be a form of parent bully behavior.  That’s teaching them really an inappropriate way to deal with anger. It’s not discipline, it’s not punishment.  Don’t attempt to go into those networks and be disruptive, use it as a way to learn more about what’s going on with your kids,” says Jantz.

Experts say summer time is also a very important time to pay close attention to your teens behavior, checking in on them and how they're feeling often.  They're away from their friends that they see every day and teachers and counselors.

Some of them might not have plans during the day while their parents are at work, so "it’s important they stay involved whether it’s camp or a job or volunteering or a new hobby,” says Heather Thomas with the Snohomish County Health Department.

And there are clear signs you can look for to tell if something's wrong.

“Are they not sleeping, are they isolating, are they sneaking away with their earbuds in, not talking with anybody, have they stopped eating?”says Jantz.  “A lot of us want to bury our heads in the sand and say 'Oh my kid's fine, you know. That always happens to the other kids’."

"It happened to mine”, says Caudel.

The National Suicide and Prevention Lifeline has a new app for teens called My3, allowing teens to feel safe connecting to 3 selected contacts as they struggle with tough emotions. The app is available on iPhone and android and is free of charge. http://www.my3app.org/#stay-connected