Adolescent Suicide
Internationally, suicide ranks fourth among the major causes of adolescents’ deaths (Peltzer & Pengpid, 2015). Suicide ranks as the third major reason of adolescents’ deaths in the U.S. in addition to second in Europe (Shlosberg et al., 2014). In the United States, deaths of people among the ages of 10 and 24 are primarily related to auto accidents, accidental injuries, homicide, and suicide (accounting for 17%) (Shlosberg et al., 2014). The report also established that 14.6% of the students at the national level had prepared a plan to commit suicide (Kann et al., 2016). The rate for attempted suicide was at 8.6% (Kann et al., 2016). Although these adolescent suicide rates exist, the investigation of illegal drug use in
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According to Klonsky et al. (2016), it is difficult to predict suicidal behavior just as the comparison of findings and integration of knowledge across studies has been. Klonsky et al. (2016) further pointed out several factors associated with suicidal behavior such as depression, psychiatric disorders, and alcohol use and alcoholism. Suicide is considered a significant mental health problem for adolescents between the ages of 10 and 19 (Hamilton & Klimes-Dougan, 2015). In the practical sense, it may be assumed that the cases of completed suicide are based on suicide ideation which essentially links it to a mental health condition that incorporates undesirable behaviors influenced by potential underlying causes (Hamilton & Klimes-Dougan, 2015). Suicide ideation exists in adolescents along a continuum that incorporates passive wishes or thoughts for death on one hand and intent and purposefully obtained means on the other hand (Klonsky et al., 2016). There are various risk factors including a history of illegal drug use and access to illicit drugs that lead to suicide ideation (Klonsky et al., 2016).
History of Illegal drug use
More than 25% of all suicide cases are attributed to illegal drug use (Poorolajal, Haghtalab, Farhadi, & Darvishi, 2015). Illegal drug use is a significant risk element associated with suicide in adolescents. Esposito-Smythers et al. (2012) argued that illegal drug use can increase aggression, heighten psychological distress, and inhibit
In the United States, suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 10 to 14-year-olds (CDC, 2015) and for 15 to 19-year-olds (Friedman, 2008). In 2013, 17.0% of students grades 9 to 12 in the United States seriously thought about committing suicide; 13.6% made a suicide plan; 8.0% attempted suicide; and 2.7% attempted suicide in which required medical attention (CDC, 2015). These alarming statistics show that there is something wrong with the way suicide is handled in today’s society. In order to alleviate the devastating consequences of teenage suicide, it is important to get at the root of what causes it all: mental illness. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Protection (2013), mental illness is the imbalance of thinking, state of mind, and mood. Approximately 90% of all suicides are committed by people with mental illnesses (NAMI, n.d.). This shows that there is a correlation between mental illness and suicide. If mental illnesses are not treated, deadly consequences could occur. It would make sense that if there is a correlation between mental illness and suicide across all ages, the same should be thought for adolescents. Approximately 21% of all teenagers have a treatable mental illness (Friedman, 2008), although 60% do not receive the help that they need (Horowitz, Ballard, & Pao, 2009). If mental illnesses are not found and treated in teenagers, some of them may pay the ultimate price.
Teen’s behavior is a major warning sign of suicide or suicidal thoughts. Many factors play into an adolescent's behavior and attitude determining the way they
According to Fowler, Crosby, Parks, and Ivey (2013), suicide and nonfatal suicidal ideations are significant public health concerns for adolescents and young adults. While the onset of suicidal behaviors is observed as young as six years of age, rates of death and nonfatal injury resulting from suicidal behavior are moderately low until 15 years of age (Fowler et al., 2013). According to Fowler et al (2013), the most current available statistics in the United States (U. S.) reported suicide as the third leading cause of death among youth aged 10-14 and 15-19 years, and it was the second leading cause of death among persons aged 20-24 years.
According to the American Association of Suicidology (AAS), 4,822 teens at ages 15 t to 24, died from suicide in 2011 in America. Because of teens suicide facts, it is the third leading cause of death. In 2007, teen suicide was low of 9.6 deaths for every 100,000 adolescence, while the current statistics collected reveal about 14% increase which indicate a 10.9 deaths for every 100,000 adolescence in the years 2011 to 2013. Teen suicide rates increase is unknown, but suicide education, public awareness campaigns, mental illness screening including access to mental health treatment may contribute to rotate the trend of teen suicide (Tracy, 2016). The Illinois Violent Death Reporting System (IVDRS) was created to assist in preventing the deaths
Methods Analysis." Journal of Youth & Adolescence, vol. 46, no. 7, July 2017, pp. 1598-1610.
Haelle’s article highlights the alarming rise of suicide among teens and in particular, the risk factors that cause it according to a study done by the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Adolescence. Haelle’s main focus on the article discusses the common risk-factors associated with youth suicide and its rise to the second leading cause of death. More specifically, the report focuses in on the link of substance abuse in alcohol and drugs being the number 1 risk factor and can be identified with screenings for suicide risk. The
Studies show a vast number of risk and protective factors in adolescent suicide attempters (Joe, Baser, Breeden, Neighbors, & Jackson, 2006, Nock, 2009). The risk factor I chose to look at is substance use. Some researchers suggest a relationship between substance use and suicidality. (Garlow, Purselle, & Heninger, 2007, Schilling, Aseltine, Glanovsky, James & Jacobs, 2009). In the 2015 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, it was reported that Alcohol and Marijuana had the most
First, a study shows that one out of four students knows of a peer who has committed suicide by age seventeen (“Teen Suicide: Prevention Is Contagious, Too”). Also, a survey from the CDC National Risk Behavior said that 16% of American high schoolers admit that they have considered suicide in the last year (“Teen Suicide: Prevention Is Contagious, Too”). Next, suicide rates have tripled in the last thirty-five years (“Teen Suicide: A Preventable Tragedy”). Self-harm is also the largest cause of death in those ages fifteen-nineteen ( “Sad Teenage Girls are Becoming More So”). Some believe that teenage suicide rates have increased because more teens are using drugs and alcohol (“Teen Suicide: Prevention Is Contagious, Too”).
25 % of completed suicides occur by those who are drug abusers and those with alcohol abuse problems. More than 50 % of teens who commit suicide have a history of alcohol and drug use. People become impulsive and attempt to end their own lives. The remorse is usually genuine, and whether or not they’ll ever attempt suicide again is unpredictable. Substance abuse and the underlying reasons for it are a greater concern in these people and should be addressed.
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
Teen suicide is increasing in America in teens age’s 14-17,young males,minorities;through the availability of guns,alcohol,drugs,and lack of support.
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
Teen suicide is a major problem in our society today. The adolescent suicide rate has tripled since 1960, while being the largest cause of death between the ages of 15 and 24. This is the one single age group that has seen an increase in suicides over the past thirty years. There are about 10,000 reported suicides reported annually. It is estimated however, that the true number of teen suicides is actually three to four times that number when unreported deaths are factored in.
Within use of recent studies, suicide has been the leading cause in adolescents. Depending on the state in questioning, an adolescent is one below the age of 18, ranging from ages 11 to 17 years old. Suicide ideation, also known as suicidal thoughts, are ways in which an individual think about how to kill one’s self. One can plan a course of action but never
So first, let me tell you some of the possible causes for teens being suicidal. There are plenty of other reasons a teen might feel suicidal but these are some that I could think of. So because of where we live, and drugs being a growing problem here, I thought I’d focus a little on the living environment, focus also on another environment that the teen might encounter, and lastly on the mental health perspective.