 Most people in some period of their life will experience times of sadness, anxiety, and despair. These are natural reaction to the rejection, pain of loss, or disappointment. People with serious mental illnesses, however, often experience much more extreme reactions. Such people feel total hopelessness. They think that suicide is the only solution. But it is not so.
When a teen commits suicide, it affects everyone. Relatives, friends, classmates, neighbors, and sometimes even those who didn’t know the person well may feel grief, confusion, grief, guilt for doing nothing to prevent this terrible act. The reason of teen suicide or attempted suicide are often complex.
Most teens don’t know that suicidal thoughts and actions are symptoms of depression. Early identification of depression can provide effective treatment. 1 in 10 Americans experience one or more depressive periods during their lifetime.
Teen suicide is more common in teens that in any other age group. Adolescence is a time when teens deal with their conflicting emotions in destructive ways such as early sex, use of drugs and alcohol, violence and others. Some teens, however, kill themselves. Depressed people didn’t see any way out.
Suicide Statistics
Suicide is the third-leading cause of teenager’s death. The risk of suicide increases if teens have access to firearms at home. Collected statistics reported that about 60% of all suicides in the United States are committed with a gun. That’s why it is very important to lock any gun you have at home and keep the keys to any firearms out of the reach of children.
Suicide rates are different for boys and girls. Boys’ suicides happen in about 4 times more than girls’. Probably it occurs because boys tend to use more lethal methods such as firearms, jumping from heights, and hanging. Girls tend to use pills.
About 10 teenagers out of 100,000 decide to kill themselves.
What Teenagers are at Risk for Suicide?
Many teens do not feel any support from the direction of parents, friends, and peers. They feel disconnected and isolated from their close people. These teenagers are at increased risk for suicide.
Factors that increase the risk of suicide among teens:
- depression, bipolar disorder and alcohol and drug abuse;
- feelings of irritability, agitation, or distress;
- feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness accompanied with depression;
- previous suicide attempts;
- suffering from physical and sexual abuse;
- family history of depression or suicide;
- lack of support from relatives and friends;
- poor relationships with parents and friends;
- feelings of social isolation;
- presence of homosexuality or violence in a family.
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