Teenage suicide

Teenage suicide occurs when a teenager kills himself or herself.

Although the suicide rate among youth significantly decreased in the mid-1990s, suicide deaths remain high in the 15 to 24 age group with 3,971 suicides in 2001 and over 132,000 suicide attempts in 2002 making it the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24 in the United States Suicide: Fact Sheet, 30 March 2006, retrieved 2 May 2006.. In the United Kingdom, the suicide rate for males under 15 - 24 has risen consistently since 1989, whilst that for females in the same age group has remained largely staticHowever, given the overall decline in the suicide rate in the UK, the rise in suicide amongst the 15-24 male population has been a considerable cause for concern [http://www.statistics.gov.uk/CCI/article.asp?ID=628&Pos=4&ColRank=1&Rank=192. since more preventive measures have been taken in the last ten years including increased understanding of the risk factors and causes and spreading information to schools and parents.

Overview

Psychologists have identified the teenage years as one of the most difficult phases of human life. Although they are often seen as a time to enjoy friendship, hang out with friends and perform other activities that adults would not usually do, often this period causes adolescents a large amount of stress. Many changes in the human mind take place during pubescence. Adolescents may begin to consider spiritual or philosophical questions such as what happens after people die. To some, death may be an unknown idea and result in a great sense of worry. Others may accept death and suicide from watching news reports or from reading a novel depicting a suicidal character. Without proper parenting regarding suicide, a teenager may feel lost on the idea.

Hormones, peer pressure, self-esteem, expectations, and academic responsibilities all contribute in providing stress in a teenager's life. A lapse in one of these categories can result in suicidal tendencies. Many teenagers suffer from clinical depression, and left unchecked, this can be a cause of teenage suicide. Often, a teenager's suicide attempt may be a cry for help, because he or she may not want to seek help personally because of fear of dishonor or shame.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), surpassed only by accidents and homicide. However, it must be noted that the number of suicides in this age group is very small – the age group with the greatest suicide rate is over-65s, as suicide rates increase with age. The teenage suicide rate is increasing in most Western countries, in large part because of the increasing pressures of being admitted into college.

Population differences

Male adolescents commit suicide at a rate four times greater than that of female adolescents, although suicide attempts by females are twice as frequent as those by males. A possible reason for this is because the method of suicide for males is typically that of a firearm, with a 78-90% chance of fatality. Females are more likely to try a different method, such as ingesting poison Youth Suicide Fact Sheet, 1 January 2005, retrieved 2 May 2006..

Suicide rates vary for different ethnicities due to cultural differences. In 1998, white Americans accounted for 84% of all youth suicides, 61% male, 23% female. However, the suicide rate for Native Americans was 19.3 per 100,000, exceedingly higher than the overall rate (8.5 per 100,000). The suicide rate for African-Americans has increased more than two-fold since 1981. A national survey of high school students conducted in 1999 reported that Hispanic students are twice as likely to attempt suicide than white students .

A controversial U.S. government's study, titled Report of the Secretary's Task Force on Youth Suicide, found that gay youth are two to three times more likely to attempt suicide than other young people. Several researchers suggest that bisexual and youth uncertain of their sexual orientation may be at higher risk for suicidal behavior than self-proclaimed homosexual teenagers. Many gay teenagers who commit suicide also suffer from mental illnesses or substance abuse disorders, making the connection more complicated. The American standard of institutionalized and internalized homophobia also leads LGBT youth to think (sometimes correctly) that their parents will throw them out and perhaps abuse them for being gay. It is impossible to know the suicide rate of homosexual youth because homosexuality is often hidden, particularly in this age group. Further research is currently being done to explain the prevalence of suicide among homosexual youths "Sexual Orientation and Youth Suicide" by Dr. Gary Remafedi, October 6 1999, retrieved 2 May 2006."Youth suicide risk and sexual orientation - Statistical Data Included" by Rutter, Philip A & Soucar, Emil, Summer 2002, retrieved 2 May 2006.Articles Relating to Suicide by GLB Youth, retrieved 3 May 2006..

High-risk groups

Teenagers who have attempted suicide before. Approximately a third of all teenagers who commit suicide have made a previous suicide attempt.
Teenagers who talk about suicide. Four out of five people give warnings before attempting suicide. Prevent Teen Suicide: Distribute Yellow Ribbon Cards, retrived 3 July 2006.
Rape victims.
Emotionally disturbed teens
Those who participate in substance abuse.
Adolescents who have a mental disorder, such as clinical depression, social anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Over 90% of teen suicide victims have a mental disorder, such as depression, and/or a history of alcohol or drug abuse .
Teenagers of conduct disorder (which is a high level of aggressiveness).
LGBT teens, e.g., those that are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.

Suicide prevention

Promoting overall mental health among adolescents is key to reducing possible suicidal thoughts. Some people argue that limiting young people's access to lethal weapons, such as firearms may be a pivotal deterrent. Some school-based youth suicide awareness programs exist to try to increase high-school students' awareness of the problem, provide knowledge about the behavioral characteristics of teens at risk, and describe available treatment or counseling resources. However, some research has shown that this may have an unintended negative effect of suggesting suicide as an option for teenagers "The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide 1999", United States Department of Health and Human Services, 21 July 2004, retrieved 2 May 2006..

Counter-Measures to Suicide

Many doctors recommend that teenagers be taken to a hospital immediately after they express the desire to commit suicide . There are many methods of helping teenagers with suicide in mind, both medical and psychological. Most teenagers who think of suicide believe their problems are too hard or embarrassing to talk about, so in order to subside the action it is important for a helper to show they can be trusted and talked to. Seeing a psychologist is widely recommended as well. Psychologists can improve a teenager's vision of life by listening to them and making them feel it will work out for the best.

Doctors recommend that helpers do not ask the teenager what reason the teenager had to think of such a thing to do; rather, one should listen and wait for the teenager to gain trust enough so that he or she finally can feel comfortable in talking about the problem. Helpers should, however, show understanding of the teenager's situation.

Doctors also recommend that helpers do not mention any "reasons to live" to the teenager, as that might send the teenager back into depressing thoughts, e.g. "What reason do I have to live?"

There are several telephone help numbers for help on teenage suicide, depending on what country one lives in. Also, emergency numbers should be contacted immediately, in case the teenager decides to go on with the attempt despite advice to the contrary.

Media coverage

In the United States in particular, the issue has been the subject of considerable media attention. After three teenagers from Southern states committed suicide within a week in 1990, many news outlets began speaking about the problem. Media coverage increased further after the Columbine shootings and subsequent school shootings. The 2000 movie The Virgin Suicides helped remind the public that teenage girls are also prone to suicide.

A string of teenage suicides during the early 1980s in the Dallas suburb of Plano, a higher income community, gained wide media coverage. A total of twelve suicides and more than 60 suicide attempts were reported there.

In many countries, the media has been required to take a responsible stance and generally not report suicides in order to prevent so-caled 'copycat suicides': Sometimes, seeing a suicide in a newspaper or on television will spur an already-depressed person to kill themselves. Exceptions to this are very high-profile suicides, such as that of Dr. David Kelley.

See also: Copycat suicide

Footnotes

External links

TeenSuicide.us - suicide information
Second Wind Fund - a teenage suicide prevention fund
The Trevor Helpline: 1 866 - 4U TREVOR - nationwide, 24-hour, free, confidential suicide helpline for gay and questioning teenagers, United States. See The Trevor Project for Wikipedia article
^*Research from the UK government into the suicide rate in the UK.

^*UK official statistics for suicide.

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