**Trigger warning: Discussion of suicide mentioned in the article below.
Life can be very hard. But for those dealing with circumstances that are too overwhelming or who face challenging mental illness, things can seem especially bleak. In those situations, it can be easy for anyone to feel so hopeless they want to end the pain, including dying by suicide.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO): “More than 700 000 people die by suicide every year. For each suicide, there are an estimated 20 suicide attempts.” And suicide is no respecter of persons: WHO states that it “can occur at any stage of life and in all regions of the world.”
Contributing factors to suicide
Common factors contributing to suicide include:
- Alcohol and substance use
- Previous suicide attempt
- Loss and loneliness
- Discrimination
- Relationship break up
- Financial problems
- Chronic pain and illness
- Violence, abuse and conflict
One study that assessed over 10,000 kids in the U.S. for various health behaviors found that, of 6.5% who were children of incarcerated parents, 4.7% of them (over 72%) struggled with suicidal thoughts.
It’s no wonder so many of them can get to this dark place; in fact, some of Sparks’ kids have witnessed a parent being killed in front of them, or watched law enforcement take away a parent, or even been removed from the home following a SWAT situation. While it would be difficult for anyone to endure these kinds of situations, children of inmates particularly lack the level of support necessary to work through such circumstances, especially when the stigma of a parent’s imprisonment prevents them from reaching out. Additionally, their families often cannot afford the cost of therapy because of the exorbitant costs of lawyer fees, visits, phone calls, and more.
How music therapy can help children of inmates cope with suicidal thoughts
Although we don’t know exactly how many of our Sparks kids struggle with suicidal thoughts, some of them have expressed such thoughts to our music therapists. Our therapists use music-based interventions to help kids address the strong, overwhelming feelings that underlie such thoughts.
For example, when the kids play fast to slow rhythms, listen to and talk about music that conveys strong emotions that match their own, or sing or dance in a way that expresses what they feel, they are able to physically release the stress or emotion without acting out their feelings in a negative way. Moreover, within the group environment, and especially with the guidance of a therapist, they can come up with coping strategies and find people who can support them when they face suicidal thoughts.
Want to help more kids learn to face hardships with hope?
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