Arthur Schopenhauer describes suicide as an experiment, a question that man puts to nature and demands an answer. The majority of those who commit suicide don’t have Schopenhauer 's idea of experimentation in mind, but rather their mind is clouded by depression and stress. Suicide is not a danger that disproportionately affects the expected teen and young adults, but it has sunk its teeth into an unlikely demographic, and the way to combat this beast is still unclear.
The most classically expected group to commit suicide in numbers much higher than the rest of the population are those that are teenagers and young adults. Suicide rates in middle aged men have witnessed a sharp increase, the baby boomers have become the surprising group to be affected by suicide most, even outnumbering teenagers and the elderly (Parker-Pope). The group of baby boomers who is now most prone to suicide has actually had higher rates of suicide across their entire lives (Phillips). The newest discovery that the group who is now most likely to commit suicide should logically be the happiest and some of the most mature, but for various reasons the middle aged have become the most at risk for suicide. With about 30 out of 100,000 middle aged men committing suicide compared to about 11 in 100,000 teens and young adults committing suicide, experts have been analyzing why such a sharp increase has occurred amongst those in midlife, and why it is so much larger than the group of young people who are
"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.
The elderly population is increasing due to baby boomers. Depression in the older adult age 60 and over is becoming more prevalent. Many older adult men suffer in silence and try to hide their emotions for as long as possible. Men don’t like to talk about their feelings so the symptoms manifest in different ways. The suicide rate is four time more likely in older adult men and they are more likely to die from a suicide attempt than a women. (Pfizer, 2016)
“Suicide is applied to all cases of death resulting directly or indirectly from a positive or negative act of the victim himself, which he knows will produce this result” (Durkheim 34). Suicide is a phenomenon that has plagued our world since the beginning of time. It currently accounts for the second leading cause of death in people ages ten to twenty-four years old (Garni Powerpoint). This means of ending your own life is something we can prevent as a society. If we can eliminate societal pressures and stereotypes we can all be treated equally. All suicides during a certain time period are grouped together, when in all reality we should be treating each situation as it’s own. Durkheim states “...with it’s own unity, individuality, and consequently its own nature- a nature, furthermore, dominantly social”.
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.
Suicide is, according to Sartre, “an opportunity to stake out our understanding of our essence as individuals in a godless world” (Stanford, 2004). Fundamentally, existentialism argues all individuals are free and therefore responsible for their actions. Thus, it is up to the individual to create an ethos of personal ideology, which is the only way one is able to rise above the human condition of suffering, death and finality (Guigon, 2001). Suicide is seen as the individual’s act of giving in to the absurdity of human life. In other words, when a human is unable to create meaning out of the absurdity that surrounds him or herself, her or she live the typical life of pain, suffering, death and thus make suicide a natural act of existence
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?”.
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.
Throughout the years suicide rates have increased and is a significant public health issue. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. However, suicide rates are high among the elderly, yet research on suicide prevention in older adults remains neglected.
Levine is a practicing clinical psychologist, author, and contributor to AlterNet. AlterNet is an award-winning news magazine and online community. Bruce E. Levine wrote an article titled, “What's Behind ‘Substantial Increases’ in Suicide Rate for Middle-Aged Americans? Bad Economy Is Likely Culprit”. The article poses the idea that poor economics and financial hardships are the source behind the increased suicide rates for middle-aged Americans. It continues to analyze how the Baby Boomer generation had suicide rates that rose during economic contractions, but younger and older generations were not as affected by the economic changes. The author discusses how those older and younger are not as affected by economic and financial alterations due to those younger than 34 may not yet be on their own and are less likely to deal with large financial problems. Also, Americans aged 65 and older have social security and Medicare. The article explains how this specific age group deals with too much economic issues versus the other age groups and that is why the suicide rates have increased drastically for middle-aged
On average, every day, 121 people die from suicide, which means 44,193 deaths each year just in the United States. On the other hand, for every one suicide, there are at least 25 attempts. Every attempt that “failed” is just another chance to save a life. An unknown source once quoted “Suicide doesn’t end the chances of life getting worse, it eliminates the possibility of it ever getting any better.” There are multiple methods a person can choose from to commit suicide, but this essay will be discussing two specific methods: jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge and physician-assisted suicide.
Suicide has always been an intriguing and permanent solution to end an individual’s sorrow. This act of intentionally ending one's life seems to be the only option when individuals are willing to sacrifice their own life in hopes of finding tranquility. By overlooking a topic, such as suicide, there will be a lost on opportunities that are capable of preventing such actions. Suicide has always been around and to simply define it, this self destruction is a way to escape the horrible realities of life. The common expectation for the public is that everyone is aware of mental health or stability.
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.
While most of the society doesn’t seem to be concern about elder suicide, statistics show that this phenomenon is indeed a major problem. For instance, research shows that around 18% of all suicides are committed by elders, particularly by elder men. The “baby boom” generation is particularly more predisposed to suicidal behavior in all life stages compared to older or younger cohorts alike. It has also been found that elder suicidal behavior tends to be more highly lethal compared to other age groups. While the number of attempts per completed suicide is 20:1 in the general population, it is as high as 4:1 in the elder population. This difference can be explained by the physical illness that older individuals tend to experience, meaning that many of them are more likely to die from
Suicide is a main source of death around the world and ranks among the three main causes of death among young adults aged between 15-45 years. Indeed, a response to this continuous worldwide issue, the World Health Organization called for the prevention of suicide (WHO, 2015). Several studies have evaluated some of the contributing factors, however, the connection between suicide and the evaluated factors is conclusively positive or negative.
Mental health issues such depression, anxiety is a health burden that negatively affects many people’s quality of life, especially older adults. In this Literature review we will use the terms older adults, elderly, baby boomer when referring to people ages 65 and older. “The rate of suicide in those aged 65 years and over has been increasing over the past three decades in most industrialized countries, with marked increases in both attempted suicides and death by suicide in the late 1980s” (Deuter, 2016). Older adults in the United States and many countries around the world die by suicide at elevated rates compared with younger adults (Conwell, and Van Orden, 2016). In addition to the age different, suicide seem to affect man and women differently with the baby boomer population. Men die more from suicide compare to women, even though females suicide attempt rate is higher (Heisel, 2006). Deuter reports that, in 2013, 7215 people aged 65 years and over died by suicide the USA, which accounts for 17.5% of the national total of suicide deaths (2016). The elevation of suicide in the elder is not only limited to the United States. According to Conwell (2013), the number of adults 65 year and older who died in the US is 6000 and 20,000 died worldwide, in 2010. The elderly population have become increasing prone to committing suicide and considered to be a population at risk. We will focus on the cause, challenges/controversy, and solutions that were used to address the issue of