Suicide In Teenagers

Suicide is something we all know about, but not enough. Britain has one of the highest suicide rates in Europe. Each year in the UK over 5000 people take their life. The Samaritans estimate that in the UK there is a suicide every 82 minutes. The charity Depression Alliance estimates that each year there are around 19,000 suicide attempts by UK adolescents whilst more than 2 million children attend GP's surgeries with some kind of psychological or emotional problem. These are very shocking statistics because at the number of suicide attempts by teens seem to be very high. What is the reason behind this? Why do so many teens commit suicide? The answer is probably depression in the majority of cases. But it is not the only reason. There are many others such as PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), bipolar disease, schizophrenia, paranoia, borderline personality and many more.

19000 people aged 15 to 24 attempt suicide each year in the UK, about 800 die as a result. Girls are more likely to commit suicide than boys, however boys are more likely to succeed hence they use much more effective and violent methods. Suicide is the second biggest cause of death worldwide among 15-19 year olds.

Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds according to Centres of Disease Control. It’s also thought that at least 25 attempts are made for every completed suicide.

The majority of young people interviewed after suicide attempt said they were trying to escape a situation which seemed impossible to them or to escape past memories and feelings.

“What adults say is, the highest risk time for first start thinking about suicide is in adolescence”, said Matthew Nock, a psychologist who worked on the study at Harvard University in C...

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...to their parents expectations, or by making them feel worthless when they fail. This can lead to school failures, truancy, loneliness and depression.

We are fortunate today because there are many ways to cure depression and prevent suicide. We are again fortunate because there are many people who know a lot about the symptoms of depression and how to treat people who are depressed. It is only a matter of spotting the symptoms and seeking help to prevent another innocent life. Provided the help and support suicide can be prevented, our teens can be deterred from committing such an act of selflessness. If shown they have someone who loves them and cares for them they will feel their worth and will turn away from thoughts of suicide and become a better person who will be able to handle any complex situation as they will know they have people who support and love them.