Understanding and Preventing Suicide: A Tragic Phenomenon

Suicide is the act of taking one’s own life. Suicide is something that can’t be overlooked. Along with so many other things in the world today it can be prevented. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States taking approximately 46,000 Americans each year (www.healthline.com). It may take one small act that can send a person over edge where they contemplate or even commit suicide. Suicide is a symptom and sign of serious depression. Depression is the top risk factor for suicide (www.healthline.com).

Major psychiatric illness also known as bipolar disorders is another cause of suicide. Bipolar disorder is a mental disorder marked by alternating periods of elation and depression. About 90 percent of people who commit suicide have a mental illness at the time of their death (www.healthline.com).

Cyberbullying is one cause of suicide. Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully a person. Suicide the third leading cause of death among young people (www.bullyingstatistics.org). Studies show that over 14 percent of high

Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people between the ages of 10-24 (www.cdc.gov). Suicide affect all youth. About 4,600 lives has been lost in the United States each year because of Suicide (www.ced.gov). More young people survive Suicide attempts than actually dying. Some rick factors include family history of suicide, family history of depression, mental health problems and incarceration (www.cdc.gov). Boys are more likely to die from Suicide than females. Of the reported suicides in the 10 to 24 age group 81 percent of deaths were males and 19 percent were females (www.cdc.gov). A number of prevention efforts are focused at detecting suicide warning signs. Suicide warning signs include someone thinking/talking about suicide, seeing a way to kill oneself, anxiety and withdrawing from people and