The United States is a developed country with vast investment in various sectors of the economy. The country’s economic power was revealed recently when the Covid-19 crisis set in, causing many businesses to be closed and jobs lost. The country’s leadership strategically provided economic stimulus funds to ensure that Americans continued to live well through the pandemic and beyond (Charles 2020). However, the problem of increasing rates of suicide across the country is alarming and it raises the question of whether adequate efforts are made to curtail this crisis. The suicide crisis has been in existence and recent trends indicate that more Americans are losing their lives through self-harming. This paper examines the suicide problem deeply, intending to identify possible contributing factors and how a viable and lasting solution can be achieved.
Thesis Statement
Suicide cases in America are increasing at an alarming rate and a lasting solution is needed to alleviate the economic and psychological stress that results from the deaths of people. An integrated approach can be more useful in the achievement of the desired results rather than focusing on the matter as a public health issue.
Suicide is a societal problem associated with a state of the mind that leads the victims to make sub-optimal decisions about their lives. They act as if something deeply rooted in their souls is pushing them to choose to take their lives. Many reasons can lead people to make the wrong decisions of committing suicide. It is alarming that in 2017 only, over 47,000 American citizens took their lives (Lyons, 2019).
“More than 47,000 Americans died by suicide in 2017, twice as many as by homicide, according to the latest federal count, and another 1.4 million attempted to take their lives” (Lyons, 2019).
Analysis of the methods used to commit suicides reveals intriguing facts that should guide the process of healing the country and finding a feasible way forward. More than half of the cases in 2017 were expedited through the use of guns whereby the gun owners would shoot themselves. In other cases, family members would access a gun owned by one of their own and use it in the act of suicide.
“More than half of all suicides involve the use of a firearm, leading some psychologists, gun control advocates, and suicide prevention groups to urge limiting access to firearms” (Lyons, 2019).
Suicidal trends are not discriminative on the victims’ age since the problem spans from minorities to old people. School-going children are vulnerable due to their interaction with mobile gadgets with access to social media platforms and the internet. The impact of cyberbullying can be detrimental and can mislead children to commit suicide knowingly or unknowingly. Bullying and discrimination of children at school can also cause the diminishing of self-esteem levels leading to suicidal thoughts. The onset of Covid-19 affected to a great extent how learners receive instructions from various institutions with many learners obliging to online lessons. While this tendency has a positive impact by the virtue of appreciating the role of technology in our lives, it can also be a source of tragedy.
“An increasing share of K-12 schools in the United States are reporting incidents of online bullying, sometimes with tragic consequences. Victims as young as 8 have taken their lives after being persecuted by mean-spirited rumors and personal attacks posted on social media sites. Bullying victims also are more likely than other students to bring a gun to school, sparking renewed debate over whether states and schools are doing enough to prevent harassing behavior” (Susan, 2020).”
Suicide rates are also connected with overall mental health with matters such as depression having a high likelihood of triggering the action. Depression can be caused by elongated episodes of uncontrolled stress stemming from various factors. Stress can emanate from financial challenges, health problems, and other difficult situations a person is exposed to. Failure to seek appropriate medical and psychological guidance can lead to adversities whereby a victim can no longer withhold the pain. Difficult financial and health decisions force some Americans to leave the country to seek cheaper medical care in other countries (Kerry, 2020). These decisions are not easy to make since the risk attached to the more affordable options in other countries is not publicized. In other situations, educated young Americans might find difficulties in securing reasonably paying jobs after investing heavily in education (Lorna, 2019). The result of all these problematic aspects of life can be the source of stress whose ripple effect can be manifested through suicide behavior.
While some causes of suicide are directly connected with the act, it is not easy to conclude that the rest have significance in the process. For instance, seeking medical health abroad can be stressful but it is a better option for those who choose to undertake the process. The government, however, has a collective responsibility to ensure that health care costs are reasonable and Americans can have ease of access to medical facilities and care (Kerry, 2020). However, financial challenges are characteristics in every other country and people can learn how to manage their finances and how to survive difficult times.
Conclusion
The solution to the suicide crisis can be found if a multi-directional approach is used in addition to the available health care services. The government should pass a law to control the accessibility of guns since there is a direct connection between the number of deaths by suicide and the use of guns as tools to facilitate the act. Bullying and cyberbullying should be controlled by legal means to protect Americans from these attacks that can lead to suicide. Efforts should be made to facilitate self-awareness about safety while browsing the internet and social media platforms. People should be equipped with skills to prevent cyber-attacks and to protect themselves from being bullied. In all organizations starting at the family level, members with suicidal thoughts should be identified in advance and advised to seek psychological assistance as a preventive means. Lastly, the government should keep all records for analysis to find out if the strategies to minimize the prevalence of the act are effective.
References
Charles, P. W, (2020). The pandemic economy. Web.
Kerry, D. Y, (2020). Medical tourism.Will rising health costs trigger a post-coronavirus revival? Web.
Ladika, S, (2020). Bullying and cyberbullying. Web.
Ladika, S. (2020). Gun control. Web.
Lorna C, (2019). College costs.Does a four-year degree still deliver value? Web.
Lyons, C. L. (2019). Suicide crisis.Suicide, 29(25). Web.