Art Therapy For People With Suicide Essay

"More people in the general population die from suicide than homicide in North America. There are almost 11 suicide deaths each year for every 100,000 people living in the United States, and for every suicide, there are between 8 and 25 attempts" (Brent 4203). Based on this research, the great effect of suicide is displayed. According to dictionary.com, suicide can be defined as "the intentional taking of one's own life." Suicide is a major issue for all people, but it most obviously affects those ranging from ten to twenty-four. People need to understand the tremendous ramifications caused from suicide everyday; when people take their lives, others lose their loved ones. Suicide, one of the leading causes of death of numerous people each day, has reached a crisis point for adolescents and young adults, and it needs to be prevented.

Throughout my early teen years, I was exposed to different mediums of art and discovered that I could express myself through more channels than just paper. Although Barry found comfort in her 11 x 17 newsprint and some paint, I was able to focus my energy on making music and taking photographs. Without my art teachers, I wouldn’t have the expressive outlet I do today. My childhood was not filled with unhappiness as Lynda Barry’s was, but from both backgrounds, we found a warmth from the exposure of art that the educational system gave to us.

Suicide was seen as a just way to die if one was faced with unendurable suffering - be it physical or emotional”. Throughout time, suicide has been viewed and dealt with in countless ways. Recently in America, the problem has grown increasingly. In the past decade, suicide rates have been on the incline; especially among men. According to the New York Times (2013), “From 1999 to 2010, the suicide rate among Americans ages 35 to 64 rose by nearly 30 percent… The suicide rate for middle-aged men was 27.3 deaths per 100,000, while for women it was 8.1 deaths per 100,000”. A 30 percent increase with an average of 19 more male suicides than female suicides is certainly an issue for both genders, and an epidemic for men. The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (n.d.), found that in 2010, 38,364 suicides were reported, with 78.9% being men. The economic recession, unemployment, and various other factors are speculated to be responsible for this incline in male suicide. As of 2010, an estimated 30,308 men ended their own lives, and it seems as if there is a great risk of that number increasing each year.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) has published a fact sheet of statistics on suicide in the United States. In 2007, it is reported that suicide was the tenth leading cause of death. Furthermore, for every suicide committed, eleven were attempted. A total of 34,598 deaths occurred from suicide with an overall rate of 11.3 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. (NIMH, 2010). Risk factors were also noted on this report and listed “depression and other mental disorders, or a substance abuse disorder (often in combination with other mental disorders). More than ninety percent of people who die by suicide have these risk factors (NIMH, 2010).”

Over the past decade suicide rates have been either stagnant or have been decreasing over all of the demographics of people. One demographic of people's suicide rate, on the other hand, has risen at a substantial rate. Scientists and researchers have just started studying this trend and have yet to draw one specific reason on why middle aged white males suicide rates are climbing. The suicide rate for this demographic of people has just surpassed the deaths by automobile accidents. This recent epidemic has got many researchers and scientists asking the question of “why?”.

There is at least 113 suicides each day or 1 every 13 minutes. Suicide among males is the seventh leading cause of death and the fourteenth leading cause in females. Most suicides are with a firearm and are carried out with a “ Saturday night special”. (Dilaura,Cynthia DiLaura) “More than 90 percent of suicide attempts with a gun are fatal. “ (Brady Campaign) There are a number of reasons why suicide occurs. Stress is the number one cause among our youth, bullies, peer pressure, depression, and abuse. 41,100 people committed suicide in the United States in 2013. Our young teens today does not take time to look deeper into there problem and to seek out a better solution. They are looking for a quick fix but not realizing once the trigger is pulled the result is final with no turning back. Most people who has attempted suicide is more likely to try a second attempt and most have an underlying mental illness. There is many warming that someone may be in a suicide crisis. We most learn how to see things through their eyes. No matter what one is facing in life or the difficult that lie ahead of them Nothing is worth taken your own

Depression and suicide are two significant global public health concerns. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is estimated that there are 350 million people that suffer from depression (WHO, 2015a). Also, over 800,000 deaths from suicides occur each year (WHO, 2015b). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, year), approximately 18.8 million (9.5 percent) American adults, have a depressive disorder each year (CDC, 2013b). The CDC (2015) also reported that in 2014, there were 42,773 suicides representing a rate of 12.93 per 100,000 persons. Depression and suicide are common among African Americans. According to The National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Data Brief report, depression rates are highest

The wayback-background begins with two very understanding and supportive non-artsy parents that stocked their house full of every pencil, marker, and paint set imaginable. Jessica grew up knowing she wanted to do something art related for a living but had no idea what graphic design was until Sophomore year of college. She took an intro course and was hooked. Design was satisfying in a completely different way than fine art—everything was like a puzzle you had to solve. As a nineteen-year-old from Nowheresville, Pennsylvania who lived a relatively charmed existence, she didn’t feel like she had much to “express” yet. Being able to think and execute artwork on the behalf of others—to address their needs rather than her own—was a giant “Eureka!” moment.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. There are approximately 121 successful suicides a day, and 44,193 a year. Almost 50% of suicides are committed with a firearm. Seven out of ten suicides are committed by white middle aged men. It is proven that men die from suicide 3.5 times more than women; however, it is documented that women try three times more. Over the past 17 years’ suicide rates have increased steadily. Suicide rates are higher in people who are 34 and older. Whites currently hold the highest suicide rate. The most popular form of suicide is with a firearm it accounts for 49.8%. Second is suffocation at 26.8%, then poisoning at 15.4%, and other at 7.9%. No count is kept for people who attempted

My senior art therapy capstone class gave me the tools not only to understand my personal art making process, but the benefits of artistic creation for other individuals as well. Through this final project, I was able to therapeutically process a traumatic event in my life and turn something negative into a positive light. Process-based art therapy highlights the educational and transformative properties of art making and natural creation.

I have come a long way on my life journey to be here in New York to study art therapy. Prior to this study, I was a graphic designer. Today, I introduce myself as an artist and a prospective art therapist. I grew up in South Korea, that is mono-cultural, and spent my first 25 years in Seoul, the capital city, having an ordinary childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Although my life is not remarkable like that of many artists, some distinct features nurtured me as an artist and a prospective art therapist.

According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention, older adults make up 12% of the United States population, but account for 18% of all suicide deaths. In 2002, the annual suicide rate for people over the age of 65, was over 15 per 100,000 individuals; this number increases for those age 75 to 84, with over 17 suicide deaths per every 100,000 (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2016). The rates of late-life suicide rises even higher for those over age 85. Although the statistics stated above are troubling, these numbers do not account for all suicides committed among this population. Late-life suicide is greatly under reported. Not counted are the “silent suicides” which includes death by overdose, self-starvation or dehydration, refusing medication or medical advice, and “accidents”. These deaths are not labelled as suicide even when the older adult’s intent was to die. Suicide among older Americans is an important public health problem, made all the more alarming because it can be prevented. There are ways of successfully treating or otherwise addressing the risk factors, like depression, that may be associated with this problem.

In the United States alone, there were nearly forty one thousand suicides. Equaling one hundred and thirteen suicide every day or simply every thirteen minutes. The suicide rate amid older adults increase by about thirty percent. Autopsy reports suggest that at 33.5% tested positive for alcohol, nearly 23.9 % tested positive for antidepressants and close to 19.9% tested positive for opiates ( Parks, Johnson, McDaniel’s, Gladden, 2014). And, according to Span (2013); White men have the greatest mortality rate: twenty nine per one-hundred-thousand, and over forty-seven per one-hundred-thousand, amongst people over the age of

Suicide is currently the 10th leading cause of death in the United States (Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury, 2017). On average, 121 Americans complete suicide each day (CDC Fatal Injuries Report 2015, 2015). The American people are living longer with advances to medical care and technology, yet suicide rates continue to rise. According to the CDC, suicide rates have increased by 24% from the year 1999 to 2014 (Curtain, Warner & Hedegaard, 2016). Consequently, the suicide epidemic continues to grow with no clear path to prevention. This literature review was conducted using the Robert Morris University Library online databases. Databases accessed include PubMed…………., from the years 2000 to 2017. Overall, most the articles obtained are

Thus far when making artwork this semester, my internal struggle between experimenting with new concepts and wanting to use my practice to heal has influenced the type of work that I’ve made. How I’ve incorporated both desires into my practice is best shown in my works ephemera memorabilia, Untitled (participatory projections), and apostle tender respectively. Ephemera memorabilia is a video of my hands turning the pages of terrible confessional and pathetic conversation, a book of visual poetry and