YOUTH SUICIDE

Youth suicide is when a young person, generally categorized

as someone below age 21, deliberately ends their own life.

Rates of attempted and completed youth suicide in Western

societies and other countries are high.Youth suicide attempts
are more common among girls, but adolescent males are the
ones who usually carry out suicide.

Suicide rates in youths have nearly tripled between the 1960s

and 1980s. For example, in Australia suicide is second only to
motor vehicle accidents as its leading cause of death for people
aged 1525, and according to the National Institute for Mental
Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens
in the United States.

Based on a survey done on American high school students,

16% reported considering suicide and 8% reported attempting
suicide sometime within the 12 months before taking the
survey.

Between 1980 and 1994, the suicide rates of young black

males doubled.
American Indians and Alaska Natives commit suicide at a
higher rate than any other ethnic group in the United States. In
India, one-third of suicides are young people 1529. In 2002,
154,000 suicides were recorded in India.

DEFINITION

Fifty years ago suicide among young people aged 1524 was a
relatively infrequent event and suicides in this age group
constituted less than 5% of all suicides in the United States.

The rate of suicide rose markedly among this age group.

This increase was observed most dramatically among young

males, whose suicide rates more than tripled between 1955
and 1977 (from 6.3 per 100,000 to 21.3).

Among females ages 1524, the suicide rate more than

doubled during this same period (from 2.0 per 100,000 to 5.2).

By 1980, suicides by 15-to 24-year-olds constituted almost 17%

of the approximately 30,000 suicides in the United States
(National Center for Health Statistics, n.d.).
Rising suicide rates continued, albeit at a slower pace, during
the 1980s and early 1990s, reaching a peak rate of 13.6
suicides per 100,000 youth aged 1524 in 1994.

At that point, rates began to steadily decline, decreasing to 9.9

per 100,000 by 2002 (the last year for which national data are
currently available), a drop of over 27% (National Center for
Health Statistics, n.d.).

Figures available since 1970 (also depicted in Fig. 21.1) show

that among the younger subset of youth, those aged 1519, the
suicide rate rose relatively consistently up until 1990 (from 5.9
per 100,000 to 11.1), and has dropped considerably since that
time to 7.4 suicides per 100,000 population in 2002.

Even with these declines, the overall youth suicide rate remains
more than twice what it had been before the marked rise
began, and currently constitutes almost 13% of all U.S. suicides
(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC] n.d.a).

Suicide before the age of 12 is rare, but increases with every

year past puberty (CDC, n.d.a). In 2002, youth aged 2024 had
a suicide rate of 12.3 per 100,000, compared to the rate of 7.4
among adolescents aged 1519.
A total of 4,010 young people aged 1524 died by suicide
during that one year, 1,513 between the ages of 1519, and
2,497 between the ages of 2024. Currently in the United
States suicide is the third leading cause of death among youth;
only accidents and homicide claim more young lives.

Among college students specifically, suicide is the second

leading cause of death, surpassed only by accidental injury.

How is one to explain the rise in the rate of youth suicide in the
United States during the latter half of the last century? It has
been suggested that the increase in the youth suicide rate
paralleled an increase in the rate of depression since the
1950s.

Documenting an increase in the rate of depression is not easy,

however, since clinical studies undertaken prior to the 1980s
did not use a standard definition of depression.

In addition, such a dramatic rise in suicide in a relatively short

time frame is likely to reflect some broad environmental
change. Thus, medical and social scientists have sought other
explanations (Berman & Jobes, 1995; Gould, Greenberg,
Velting, & Shaffer, 2003; Hendin, 1978).
CAUSES

Causes of teenage suicide can be difficult to pinpoint and may

involve several factors. Teens go through a vulnerable period at
this stage in their lives. No matter how small or big their
problems, their troubles may feel unbearable or overwhelming.

Noticeable changes in behavior, such as withdrawal from

friends and family or violent and aggressive behavior, are
among the many signs of potential teen suicide, but parents
and mental health care providers also need to understand the
causes of suicide in teens for effective prevention.

Major Disappointment

Suffering through a major disappointment such as rejection,

loss of a boyfriend or girlfriend and failure at school or in sports
may trigger suicidal tendencies in teens, who have difficulty
coping with these kinds of situations.

These circumstances alone may not be responsible for suicide,

but they are factors that contribute to a teen's taking extreme
measures, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI,
points out.
Stress

Stress, confusion, pressure and worries about self-worth are

common problems in many teens that can trigger suicide,
according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry.

Teens may have to go through parental divorce, moving in with

a new family, living in a new location or going to a different
school. In some cases, teens may be victims of physical or
sexual abuse. These are unsettling matters that intensify
uncertain feelings such as distress, anxiety or agitation.

Depression

Depression is a major cause of suicide that can be present in

the teenage years. This mental disorder can cause feelings of
hopelessness and worthlessness, according to Kids Health.

Depression can be particularly harmful for teens who

experience violence at home or at school and feel isolated from
their peers or lack a social network of friends. Approximately 75
percent of people who commit suicide suffer from depression,
according to the Harris County Psychiatric Center at the
University of Texas.
Depression is a mental health disorder. It causes chemical
imbalances in the brain, which can lead to despondency,
lethargy, or general apathy towards life.

Almost half of 14- and 15-year-olds have reported feeling some

symptoms of depression, which makes coping with the
extensive stresses of adolescence all the more difficult.
Symptoms of depression in youth are often overlooked or
passed off as being typical "adolescent turmoil."

Another serious problem that can lead teens to suicide - or aid

in their plans to end their lives - is the easy access many of
them have to firearms, drugs, alcohol, and motor vehicles.

For the general population, about 30% of suicides involve

firearms. Of all firearm-related deaths that occur, about 80%
are suicides.

Substance Abuse

Drug or alcohol abuse can lead to impulsive behavior,

especially if a teen is haunted by other problems such as a
mental disorder or family difficulties.
Like adults who turn to alcohol or drugs, teens may believe that
substance abuse will bring them relief from surrounding
difficulties, but it only worsens the problems. Substance abuse
and mental disorders play prominent roles in a majority of
suicides, Kids Health notes.

Biology

Genetic components related to brain chemistry may be involved

in teen suicides, NAMI notes. Teens with a family history of
mental disorders or suicide are at increased risk of suicide or
suicide attempts. Being in an environment in which a suicide
has occurred with a relative could produce thoughts of suicide
for vulnerable teens.

Low levels of the brain chemical serotonin may be a cause of

suicide, NAMI says. Serotonin controls impulsive actions. Low
levels of the chemical may lead to impulsive behavior, including
suicide.

Many troubling and difficult situations can make a teen

consider suicide.

The same emotional states that make adults vulnerable to

considering suicide also apply to adolescents.
Those with good support networks (e.g., among family and
peers, or extracurricular sport, social, or religious associations)
are likely to have an outlet to help them deal with their feelings.
Others without such networks are more susceptible during their
emotional changes, and may feel that they're all alone in times
of trouble.

THE REASONS BEHIND A TEEN'S SUICIDE

The reasons behind a teen's suicide or attempted suicide can

be complex. Although suicide is relatively rare among children,
the rate of suicides and suicide attempts increases greatly
during adolescence.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-

olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), after accidents and homicide.

It's also thought that at least 25 attempts are made for every
completed teen suicide.

The risk of suicide increases dramatically when kids and teens

have access to firearms at home, and nearly 60% of all
suicides in the United States are committed with a gun.
That's why any gun in your home should be unloaded, locked,
and kept out of the reach of children and teens.

Overdose using over-the-counter, prescription, and non-

prescription medicine is also a very common method for both
attempting and completing suicide.

It's important to monitor carefully all medications in your home.

Also be aware that teens will "trade" different prescription

medications at school and carry them (or store them) in their
locker or backpack.

Suicide rates differ between boys and girls. Girls think about
and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and tend to
attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs or cutting themselves.

Yet boys die by suicide about four times as often girls, perhaps
because they tend to use more lethal methods, such as
firearms, hanging, or jumping from heights.

PREVENTING TEEN SUICIDE

Many young people face high levels of stress and confusion,

along with family problems.
When you throw in raging hormones, it sometimes seems more
than a teen can handle.

Perhaps it's not surprising that teen suicide is increasingly

common.

In fact, suicide is the third leading cause of death among

people between ages 15 and 24, with about 5,000 lives lost
each year. Males comprise 84% of all suicides.

However, attempted suicides greatly outnumber suicides.

Because males often choose more violent methods in their
attempts, they are often more successful.

But females may attempt suicide more often than males.

In 2012, suicides among teens between ages 15 and 24

accounted for 10.9% of all suicides in the U.S.

If you have ever seriously contemplated suicide -- meaning

doing some serious planning, not just feeling very down -- it's
important to take this very seriously.

Contact a trusted adult or a mental health professional

immediately.
Brain research is an important aspect of suicide prevention as
of 2002. Since major depression is the single most common
diagnosis in suicidal people, earlier and more effective
recognition of depression is a necessary preventive measure.

Known biological markers for an increased risk of suicide can

now be correlated with personality profiles linked to suicidal
behavior under stress to help identify individuals at risk.

In addition, brain imaging studies using positron emission

tomography (PET) are presently in use to detect abnormal
patterns of serotonin uptake in specific regions of the brain.

Genetic studies are also yielding new information about

inherited predispositions to suicide.

A second major preventive measure is education of clinicians,

media people, and the general public. Public health studies
carried out.

In Sweden have shown that seminars for primary care

physicians in the recognition and treatment of depression
resulted in a rise in the number of prescriptions for
antidepressants and a drop in suicide rates.
Education of the general public includes a growing number of
CDC, NIMH, and other web sites posting information about
suicide, tips for identifying symptoms of depressed and suicidal
thinking, and advice about helping friends or loved ones who
may be at risk.

Many of these web sites have direct connections to suicide

hotlines.

An additional preventive strategy is restricting access to

firearms in the developed countries and to pesticides and other
poisons in countries where these are the preferred method of
suicide.

CONCLUSION

My topic is very important to me because youth suicide is a

horrible thing that shouldnt continue. I feel as though kids
wanting to end their lives for various reasons, no matter what
they are, is wrong. Kids should be enjoying their life, and not
hating it.

I also hate suicide, especially among kids because when you

are little, you spend all of your time dreaming about your future
and what your life will be like when you grow up.
You think about what job you will have, what your house will
look like, who you will marry, and a lot more. When a young
person commits suicide, they dont get to experience any of
that or anything else that they have dreamed about.

That is very upsetting to me, which is why I chose to research

this topic. The thing I would like to change about my topic is its
existence. If youth suicide ended, the world would be a better
place and kids would be happier.

This topic doesnt impact me directly, but it could if anyone I

knew committed suicide. I would be extremely sad if any of my
close friends took their own life. Suicide influences people all
around the world because it makes them think about what they
say to a person, and the serious impact that it can have on
them.

It also influences people because they might know someone

that has committed suicide and it will make them notice the little
things. If someone close to you ended their own life, it will make
you feel really bad and you might start to think more about what
you are saying or doing. The most upsetting thing to me about
suicide is that the amount of young people taking their own life
is getting higher and higher each year.
It isnt right that so many people every year are so sad that they
decide to end their life. I think that a way to avoid this could be
to get people to realize that what they say or do to people really
matters and could have a bigger impact on them than you think.

Also, people need to be aware of how many people are

committing suicide. That will cause them to act nicer towards
people so they dont dread every day of getting bullied. People
also need to let other people know that suicide isnt a solution.

If they notice that they just have to get through a period of time,
then all of the bad things that are happening to them will end.
Suicide has been related to lack of social integration, feelings of
"alienation" in the population, transience, and rapid changes in
values, income and lifestyle. Poor job prospects, families in a
state of flux, and changing social and moral values could all
contribute to high youth suicide rates in the population as a
whole.

It is important to realize that suicidal behaviour is not

necessarily linked to mental health problems and that
unemployment and alcoholism are not widespread problems
among suicidal teenagers themselves.
REFERENCES

1. "Youth Suicide Risk and Preventive Interventions: A

Review of the Past 10 Years". Research Update Review.

2. Jump up^ Kastenbaum, Robert J. (2012). Death, Society,

and Human Experience. Boston: Pearson.
p. 198. ISBN 978-0-205-00108-8.

3. Jump up^ Commission for Children and Young People

and Child Guardian

4. Jump up^ National Institute [for] Mental Health

5. Jump up^ "Suicide Among Youth | Gateway to Health

Communication | CDC". www.cdc.gov. Retrieved 2016-10-
26.

6. Jump up^ Woodward, John (2005). Teen Suicide.

Greenhaven: Szumski. p. 10. ISBN 0-7377-2428-5.

7. Jump up^ Iype, George. South India: World's suicide

capital. Rediff, 2004-04-15. Retrieved 2011-10-13.

8. Jump up^ SunnyKids 2010