Teenage Suicide Essay -- Teenage Suicide Essays

Suicide is an issue that many young people struggle with everyday. Suicide is the third leading cause of death, behind accidents and homicide, among adolescents. The middle teenage years are the years with the greatest incidence of teen suicide (Fritz, 2001). 7 percent of youths under the age of 25 have attempted suicide at least once (Psychology Today, 2001). These statistics alone show that teenage suicide is something that needs to be dealt with. There are many risk warning signs, and ways to prevent teenage suicide. Some individuals have a higher risk of attempting, and then completing, suicide than others. Suicide attempts among youths have been associated with depression, substance use, loss of a family member or friend to suicide, or the presence of firearms (Borowsky, 2001). Teens who come from a bad family background have a high risk of suicide. Living in poverty, family dysfunction, and lack of communication and poor problem solving in the house hold can be huge factors. If there is stress at home such as abuse, parent's loss of job, or the loss of a loved one, suicide may seem like a way out for the teen. Physical, sexual, and verbal abuse may also put a teen at high risk of suicide attempt (Wagner, 1997). Possibly one of the biggest causes of suicide is mental illness and disorder. There are many mental illnesses that cause suicide but the biggest two are depression and schizophrenia. 30-40% of individuals who complete suicide are those with serious mental illnesses, the more lethal being borderline and anti-social personality disorders (Sanchez, 2001). Alcoholics and substance abusers are also at a high risk. Alcohol has been associated with 50% of suicides (Borowsky, 2001). Even factors such as past head injurie... ...ing their feelings this may push them further away. One should also be very specific when talking to a teen about suicide. Often the actual issues is not suicide itself, but something that is causing them to feel like there is no way out (Parrott, 435). Some teens that are struggling with suicidal thought have other problems in other areas. When you are not qualified to treat such problems, you should refer them to professionals. It is important to not go on trying to treat someone when you have no experience in that area. Trying to help when you are under-qualified can actually make things worse. In 1997, 13% of all deaths in the age group between ages 15-24 were attributed to suicide (Pediatrics, 2000). Suicide is a problem that is growing in the US very Rapidly, It is important that we learn to watch for warning signs in order to prevent further suicide attempts.