Suicide: A Guide to Prevention

Parents, teachers, counselors and other responsible adults all have to be on the lookout for the telltale signs of teen depression which--left unnoticed--can lead to suicide, but most importantly, so do kids, because teens confide firstly and most honestly with each other. The two teen filmmakers who host this tape bypass the grown-ups and talk directly to their peers in this guide which includes role-playing segments to teach the warning signs, suggestions for positive intervention, "myth vs. reality" reminders to help viewers get straight with the facts, and first-hand accounts from two other teens who attempted suicide. The program offers some good ideas and decent advice, but the presentation itself is disjointed, distracting, and fashionably non-linear; repetition and summary would have gone further in an instructional setting. Recommended, with reservations. Aud: J, H. (E. Druda)