Adolescent Depression and Suicide: Early Detection and Treatment the K

Suicide is a prevalent cause of death among America's youth today. Every day more than 1000 teenagers will think about suicide and eighteen will be successful in committing it. It is an ever-growing problem that can be described as unnecessary and uncalled for. Knowledge and understanding are key factors to preventing teenage suicide. The problem will usually originate from a period of depression, either as a medical concern, or simply because of a saddened

The rate of suicide, the act or an instance of taking one's own life voluntarily and intentionally, increases each year. “More adolescents die each year from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, combined” (Preventing Teen Suicide, 2016, p.2). These facts show suicide is a serious problem among teens. Last year, teen suicide became the second leading cause of death in the United States confirming the significant increase in teen suicides.

Teenagers experience strong feelings of stress, confusion, self-doubt, and pressure to succeed while growing up. These are fears that teens face every day and suicide may seem like the solution to their problems. There are many signs for parents to watch for in teenagers: changes in eating and sleeping habits, drug or alcohol abuse, violent actions, rebellious behavior, frequent complaints, and withdrawal from family and friends. Many of these signs and symptoms can be similar to depression. It is important for parents, teachers, and physicians to be aware of these symptoms in adolescents. (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, October 2013).

From 2011 to 2015, teen suicide has transformed into a consequential issue within the United States of America. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among American teenagers between the ages of twelve and eighteen, and is the third leading cause of death for those aged ten to fourteen. Back in 2011, the suicide death rate for those teenagers aged thirteen to nineteen was 6.74 per 100,000, an aggregate of 2,014 teens. Suicide also accounted for 17 percent of U.S. teenage deaths in the year 2011, second only to unintentional injuries, accounting for 39 percent. In 2013, 8 percent of

There is too much teen suicide in the United States. Many teens who are depressed have mental issues such as depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, etc. Often, teens who have these issues feel as if they don’t belong. They don’t feel like talking about certain things going on in their life. Issues regarding sexuality, bullying, and abuse make children feel hopeless and unwanted. They feel alone. The suicide rate has gone up dramatically. There are approximately 100,000 suicides per year and 10,000 to 20,000 of them being from ages 14 to 24. Suicide is also the 3rd leading cause of death for teens.

Suicide is a devastating, preventable tragedy and is among the top causes of death in the adolescent population. Compelling statistics given since 2009 show the number of

“Statistics reveal that in the US approximately...nearly one million people attempt suicide each year” ("Suicide Risk Among Abused Children."). Suicide is not an act of randomness. It is a result of prolonged feelings and/ or events, which push that person to extremes they desperately want out of. Suicide rates are amongst the highest in teens, due to their lack of support systems. During these years many are trying to find-out who they are and fit in, thus many get accepted into some people’s views, but there are also a good number that get ignored and feel like they do not belong anywhere. Teen suicide can be a result of a home-life of abuse or mistreatment, psychological disorders, and lack of social support-bullying; however, through the education on the warning signs of suicide, providing more emotional outlets at schools, and creating safer environments the number of annual victims can be decreased.

For some teens suicide is triggered by the divorce of their parents, formation of a new family with stepparents or stepsiblings, or moving to a new community. Some of the signs of suicide include the following: change in eating and sleeping habits, withdraw from friends, family, and regular activities, violent actions, running away, drug or alcohol use, gives verbal hints: I won’t be a problem for long, etc. Therefore, these teens seem to think that suicide appears to be the solution to these problems and feelings. Individuals need to seek qualified mental health if you ever hear the words, “I want to kill myself.” As a result, seeking assistance for suicide can be beneficial and preventable. Suicidal teenagers need to decipher that people are concerned about the decisions running through their minds (“Teen

Teenagers all around the world are having millions of suicidal thought running through their minds. Even if they have a happy childhood when they grow up and become adolescents, they can become suicidal.(Berman , 2006). There are several different factors that contribute to make a teenager think suicide is the only solution. Depression, bullying, lack of parent's attention are just some of many causes that lead to a teenager's suicide. In the United States suicide is the third cause of death in teenagers between 15-24 years old (Gould, 2004). Studies have shown that having a gun in the house is a big contributor to suicide. Many other causes can involve psychological issues like depression, a bipolar

The world we live in today has truly changed, in just the past ten years. Phones are increasingly large, boy bands have become extinct and more teens are committing suicide. Obviously, the biggest issue we have is teen suicide. Teens in this present generation, are seen as the future of our country, and to see suicide become the third-leading cause of death for young people in America, passed by only homicide and car accidents, is a growing concern. The mere thought of a teen taking their life is devastating, and the reasoning for the recent trend is just as shattering.

Day to day, teens suffer from peer pressure, problem from home, and stress from academics. Despise their status in the environment, majority of high school students refrain from acknowledging the presence of their reality. The problem in most situations in that students feel shut in, trapped in a never ending misery. How do they cope? What are their ways of dealing? Most students live in denial. Others have friends to confide in. For the devastating part, most students are not as open to these ideas and it leaves them with this alternative: suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause in teens the ages 14 to 19 within rural underserved areas. Suicidal ideation (SI), suicidal thoughts, were surveyed in over 12 high schools and it was found that in the past year, thoughts of (SI) were not shared with peers or even adults in the pursuit of receiving help or support (Pisani, 2012). Because a student spends most of their day at school, it is ideal for schools to provide realistic opportunities and school-based programs to assist with the suicide among the youth. The Surviving the Teens Suicide Prevention and Depression Awareness Program designed four 50 minute session or each high school student. This presented information in regards to factual information about depression, suicidal warning signs, suicidal risk factors and myths associated with suicide (King, 2010). The program provide coping strategies for everyday life, referral sources if feeling suicidal, and how to recognize

Suicide is the third leading cause of deaths in adolescents in the United States. Teen suicide is also often referred to as a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Teens so often are suicidal and attempt suicide as a call for help from others. They have no intention in dying they are just trying to cry out for help from anyone that will listen. Many reasons cause teen to attempt suicide, varying from bullying to psychological disorders. In fact, psychological disorders accounts for about 90% of teens who attempt or commit suicide. Teenagers are also at higher risk of suicide when they are under

Teenagers want help and want to live a happy life. Parents and teachers tend to overlook clear warning signs of teens having suicidal thoughts. Sometimes silence is the loudest scream for help. Overlooking vital signs such as loss of interest in things one cares about, or withdrawn and feeling isolated, or even sleeping too little or too much. These little signs go undetected and the price for not spotting them could mean a life. Instead of relying on parents and teachers to help these teenagers we should provide teens a way to help themselves. Trying to find signs of suicidal thoughts in teens can sometimes mean finding out too late but nobody knows how a teenager feels better themselves. Teens with access to suicide literature have the power to help themselves.

Today’s teenagers are faced with the ever changing world around them and the biological changes of their bodies. Many teens are also faced with depression. Approximately half of teenagers with untreated depression may attempt suicide, which remains the third leading cause of death in this age group. (Bostic). This depression affects their school, family lives, and robs them of their self image. Depression affects many teens and often goes by unnoticed and untreated.

Youth and young adult suicide is a major problem facing the United States and many other countries around the world today. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in youth ages 10-24. About 1 in 6 youth in 9th to 12th-grade report seriously considering suicide and while 1 in 12 report having attempted suicide (CDC 2014). There are multiple studies on youth and young adult suicides, what the contributing factors for youth and young adult suicides may be, who the youth and young adults were most likely to turn to, and what advice and services were most beneficial in the youth and young adults’ decision to not complete suicide.