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Depression and its effects in adolescents
Depression and its effects in adolescents
What leads teenagers to suicide
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Almost every day we hear about someone attempting or committing suicide. Whether it is on the internet, television, newspaper, or even by word, suicide is a harsh reality that is overlooked and undermined. According to one online article, “Teen Suicide Statistics,” In a survey conducted by the National Youth Violence Prevention Resource Center on high school students it was found that more than one in five teens contemplated suicide, almost one in six had arranged plans for suicide, and about one in 12 had followed through with their plans, in the previous year. There are many causes which make a teenager contemplate suicide, such as bullying, depression, and substance abuse. The effects of someone committing suicide are tremendous; it can go from family, to friends, to other suicidal teens, causing devastation and even more suicides. The only hope for this epidemic is awareness and prevention. There are many prevention techniques such as, antidepressants and warning sign detection. Teen suicide is a serious problem and must be treated as such. First of all, the causes of suicide among teens are numerous and various. The reasons cannot be pinpointed to just one cause, but we can identify the most common reasons for suicide. Bullying is a problem for most teens in high school, but this combined with stress, anger, or depression, can become catastrophic for a developing, young adult. Depression is also a contributor to suicide; depression is a condition in which the effected is uncontrollably sad, and sometimes for no reason at all, which is enough to make anyone contemplate suicide. Another leading cause, and major problem amongst teens, is substance abuse. Most teens have tried drugs or alcohol, but this combined with dep... ... middle of paper ... ...nent to suicide, but more should be done. With this all in mind, we must quickly address this problem and spread awareness of its being. Works Cited Carey, Benedict. “The Link Between Antidepressants and Teen Suicide Is Controversial.” Teen Suicide. Ed. Emily Schusterbauer. Detroit, 2009. 98-101. Print. "Revealed: Tragedy of 'Suicide Cluster'; This Week New Research Uncovered 18 Suicides In a Small Area of Cork. Now The Mother Of One Tragic Boy Has Chosen To Tell Her Son's Story, Hoping It Will Help End This Epidemic." Daily Mail [London, England] 18 June 2011: 6. Gale Power Search. Web. 1 Sep. 2011. Slump, Elizabeth. "Suicide: an intergenerational tragedy (warning signs for suicide)." Presbyterian Record Apr. 1999: 20-2. Gale Power Search. Web. 31 Aug. 2011. “Teen Suicide Statistics.” Teen depression. Teen depression.org, n.d. Web. 8/31/11
Nowadays, people considered youth suicide as an ordinary event in the society because of its frequency. However, it changed in 2012 when three high school students from different schools in Perth committed suicide within days (Hiatt 2012 para. 2). It caught media’s attention and had people thinking about the responsibility of Australia to prevent youth suicides from happening. A lot of people say that Australia has done enough while others object and argue that Australia hasn’t done enough yet.
Approximately 24% of 12-17 year olds have considered suicide and up to 10% have attempted suicide.” (Suicide Intervention Training PG 3). Teens today are very likely to commit suicide for various reasons. In today’s society there are a lot of judging and bullying cases around the world. No matter how much we promote a bully free zone there will always be a couple of cliques, or individuals, who want to bring others down and who do not know the seriousness of bullying. Although bullying is a big cause of suicide, the leading cause is a mental illness that many people are familiar with called depression. “Psychiatric disorders can affect diverse aspects of an individual’s life.”( Dispelling Myth Surrounding Teen Suicide, PG 1). If you or someone you know seems down most of the time, the best thing to do is to go see someone about your despair. If you are diagnosed with depression, prescribed depression medicine can help and can be one way to prevent suicidal thoughts or actions. “There is a lot of evidence that suicide is preventable.”(Cont. Principles of Suicide Prevention, PG
There are many things which can drive a teen to commit suicide some of them are as simple as making fun of the “fat” kid in class; others can come from the mental images from witnessing a shooting. There are four major issues which contribute to teen suicide such as depression, family problems, risk factors, and teens reactions to there climate. Depression, unfortunately, is one of the biggest factors of today’s teenage suicide problems and some of the reasons for it are from the student’s own peers, “being depressed is triggered by loss or rejection (Joan 59).” Depression can be f...
Suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens. Most teens commit suicide mainly because of bullying which pushes teens over the edge; because they believe what their peers say about them. Studies show that more teens are dying in this generation than any other generation due to suicide. Bullying is the biggest cause of teen suicide because it pushes people to believe that it is the only way out, makes people feel worthless, and causes the most mental problems in teens.
...harm has sky rocketed and needs to be addressed immediately. In addition, as I covered towards the beginning of the core assessment, the important variables and culprits on suicide and self-harm include psychological, family, and social problems in society. In my personal opinion, the media outlets need to contain on what they report in reference to teenager suicide. With all the solutions and treatment plans I mentioned in this assessment, there is very minimal evidence of the effectiveness. The major challenges I foresee in the future for this ongoing problem include the understanding and comprehension of adolescent suicide in addition to the contributors. Identifying preventative measures aimed at young teens considered a high risk and the effective treatment options are challenges that are difficult, yet; very attainable with a collective effort from everyone.
In today’s society, there is a terrifying growing phenomenon happening amongst all ages, genders and races. Suicide has increased in the past averaging around 117 suicides a day in the United States alone. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary the definition of suicide is ‘the act or an instance of taking one 's own life voluntarily and intentionally, especially by a person of years of discretion and of sound mind.’ Suicide is an increasing tragedy and there are many ways that can prevent this horrifying action from happening to a close loved one, a classmate, or anyone.
“Approximately every 18 minutes, someone in the United State commits suicide” (Flanders 3). Ranked tenth in leading causes of death in the United States, suicide claims the lives of more than thirty thousand people a year (Flanders 3). Recently, there has been an increase in self-destructive behavior among young adults (Flanders 3). “Almost everyone in the United States has been touched in some way by suicide” (Flanders 20). By studying the social issue of suicide, one can identify the causes and help prevent more deaths.
About each year, “nearly 40,000 Americans commit suicide, five thousand” (SAVE 1) of those people are regular teens. Every day, another teenager will die of committing suicide. Over the past few years, suicide rates in teenagers have been dramatically increasing. Suicide is now the third leading cause of death amongst teens and young adults in the United States, right behind motor vehicles accidents and then homicides. Something as horrific as teen suicide should not be the third leading cause of death among teenagers. Suicide is a problem that needs to be addressed and furthermore prevented.
There are multiple negative effects of teen suicide. Large numbers of teens that do not have support from friends, peer groups, family, or religious association may and can feel isolated from the world and disconnected. (Larry’s). The tragedy of a young person dying as a result of overwhelming hopelessness is devastating to everyone. Suicide rates differ between boys and girls. Girls think about and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and attempt suicide by overdosing. Boys die by suicide about four times as often as girls, due to using more lethal methods, such as firearms, hanging, or jumping from heights. (Nock). There are several different factors that may lead a teenager to take their life, but the most common is depression. Feelings of hopelessness and anxiety, along with feelings of being trapped in a life that one cannot handle, are contributors to teen suicide. It is important to be on the lookout for signs that your teen may attempt suicide. Some of the warning signs are similar to normal adolescent behavior. At times, preventing teen suicide means treating teen depression. Since 75 percent of the people who commit suicide are depressed (according to the University of Texas), it is a beneficial start to begin treating the symptoms of teen depression. (Teen Suicide Overview).
90% of suicide victims suffer from depression. A teen going through depression may seem hopeless, have a lack of sleep or appetite, and interested. Helping depressed teens coop with their illness is also important in preventing suicide. Drug or alcohol use also are associated with suicide. Teens who partake in drug or alcohol use have a likelihood to continue destructive behavior by attempting suicide. If a teen witnessed suicide from another family member, they are three times more likely to commit suicide themselves. By seeing suicide being modeled as an acceptable coping mechanism, they contemplate suicide more seriously. Adolescents that undergo any type of stressful events in their life, have a higher chance of committing suicide because they do not understand how to cope with
Now the eighth-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years, suicide has become the subject of much recent focus. U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, for instance, recently announced his Call to Action to Prevent Suicide, 1999, an initiative intended to increase public awareness, promote intervention strategies, and enhance research. The media, too, has been paying very close attention to the subject of suicide, writing articles and books and running news stories. Suicide among our nation’s youth, a population very vulnerable to self-destructive emotions, has perhaps received the most discussion of late. Maybe this is because teenage suicide seems the most tragic—lives lost before they’ve even started. Yet, while all of this recent focus is good, it’s only the beginning. We cannot continue to lose so many lives unnecessarily.
Teen suicide as an extremely complex tragedy, that unfortunately happens all the time throughout the United States. There are friends, parents, and peers that are facing the misfortune of losing a young, close, loved one to suicide. Most people don't realize that adolescent suicide is common. They don't want to believe how often this occurs in the secure environment found in the small towns of America, as well as in its largest cities.
To be brief, teen suicide is a major problem and should be taken seriously as it can be prevented. Adolescent suicide can be prevented if parents act as role models and teach effective ways to solve problems and cope with stress. Parents should also communicate openly with their teens about the problems in their lives. As has been mentioned, physical and emotional warning signs should be watched for as to indicate suicidal thoughts. In addition, adolescents who have psychological conditions or a substance abuse problem are at higher risks for suicidal tendencies. Furthermore, treatments for individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts are antidepressants or attending a group counseling session. All in all, suicide is a major factor especially among adolescents and needs to be addressed immediately. (“Teen Suicide” 6).
Suicide is the act of killing yourself because you do not want to continue living. It is done voluntarily and intentionally. It’s becoming a major global public health issue with almost 1 million people committing suicide each year (Suicide Data, 2010a). Suicide is a serious mental health problem affecting the lives of young adults. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the second leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15 and 24. During the past few decades, the number of adolescent deaths from suicide in the United States has increased significantly. “In 1997, there were 4186 suicides among people 15 to 24 years old, 1802 suicides among those 15 to 19 years old, and 2384 among those 20 to 24 years
Teen suicide is an enormous social issue that we encounter constantly. Every day a child perishes; not just from injuries, or illnesses, but by their own hand. Teenagers make the decision to take their lives by creating a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Reasoning for suicide varies, for every teenager is different. To help battle the increase of suicides within our country, and even throughout the world, we must understand risk factors, acknowledge the warning signs and its impacts, and finally become familiar with the resources available around us.