There are many reasons why teens and young people commit suicide. Nevertheless, none of the reasons are more important than the stress that young people are exposed to today. In other words, teenagers have to deal with enormous pressure and stress every day. While psychologists argue that virtually any factor can contribute to a suicide attempt, young people feel overwhelmed with the speed of modern life. Nancy Merritt notes that the romantic image of suicide motivates many young people to kill themselves. The fact that suicide is death does not seem to be important to many young people. In other words, young people view suicide as a means to express themselves or make others sorry. It is important to mention that teenagers are impulsive, and, as a result, suicide is an impulsive act. Merritt also notes that many children commit suicide in the rash of “copy-cat” – teenagers are inspired by suicides that are highly publicized. Finally, studies reveal that the rate of suicide is five to 20 times higher among alcohol and drug abusers compared to the general population. When drugs and/or alcohol are combined with emotional depression, the rate of suicide increases even more.
Suicidal thoughts are often the symptoms of diverse mental health disorders. According to King and Tellioglu, many young people who commit suicide have major mental disorders. Suicide is often accompanied by depression, conduct, and eating disorders. Researchers have also identified a link between self-directed violence and violence against others. The effect of a suicide attempt is often detrimental to the mental health of a teenager. From one side, a young person who has attempted suicide is very likely to repeat an attempt in the nearest future. On the other side, an unsuccessful suicide attempt may result in a life appreciation attitude. In addition, there is a negative effect on suicide on peers: many of the suicides are committed in sequence. There are several warning signs of suicide, including declining grades, disciplinary problems, and skipping school. According to statistics, more than 250,000 children between ages 14-17 try killing themselves each year; more than 5,000 succeed (Merritt). This statistic is disturbing as it reveals that American teenagers are not able to cope with stress due to a lack of support.
The primary prevention strategy is to educate teenagers on stress management. In addition, parents should be aware of the suicide warning signs and devote more attention to the emotional state of their children. Teenagers should not be left alone to cope with stress, and parents should become the primary providers of support. Nevertheless, if a teenager is determined to kill himself, he will find a way to succeed despite all factors. However, there are many young people who consider suicide as a way out but are not determined to kill themselves. These young people can be saved. According to statistics, half of all teenagers kill themselves with the guns kept by parents at home. Thus, the primary prevention recommendation is to keep guns hidden. Suicidal impulses are rather short and last only about fifteen minutes. Thus, teenagers should be given time to defuse the situation. If they do not succeed in finding the gun, the chances of staying alive are much higher. Teenagers should be encouraged to report suicide thoughts of their friends. Information sharing is the most powerful tool to prevent suicide in children. Finally, young people should feel safe at home. Parents should strive to understand and support their children.
Works Cited
King, Steven and Tahir Tellioglu. “Suicide in Teens and Young Adults. YourTotalHealth, Web.
Merritt, Nancy. “Teen and Young Adult Suicide: Light and Shadows”. Do It Now Foundation, 2002. Web.