The Role Of Suicide: Legal And Ethical Issues In Mental Health Counseling

The up rise in mental health illness amongst college students has become a growing public health concern nationwide (Byrd 2012, McKinney 2012). Rising incidents have led to increased rates of suicide, depression and a variety of mental health illnesses which vary in complexity, severity and prevalence within many U.S college campuses (Arria 2012). Despite the increasing volume of now known mental health cases, many students are still not seeking psychological treatment (Aselton 2012). In an era where depression and suicide have become leading causes of death amongst adolescents and young adults (Farabough 2012, Hirsch 2007), efforts must be made to treat these mental health concerns as early and diligently as possible. The University of Maryland Baltimore County is a melting pot of students with cultural, mental and physical diversity. This paper/presentation will aim to discuss a variety of issues which depict the common predictors of depression, barriers to seeking care, student’s knowledge/ attitudes and beliefs about counseling services.

In 2014, the death rate from car crashes had been cut in half, part of a broader trend across the entire population. Also in 2014, the suicide death rate was 2.1 per 100,000. The suicide rate for children 10 to 14 had caught up to their death rate for traffic accidents. In all 425 children ages 10 to 14 killed themselves in 2014. In contrast, 384 children of that age died in car accidents (Tavernise). Tavernise mentions that girls experience depression more than boys in adolescence, it’s a pattern that continues onto

Davidson, Lucy. “Psychological Perspectives.” Perspectives on Suicide. Ed. James Clemons. Louisville, KY: Westminster/John Knox Press, 1990. 11-21. Print

Suicide is a subject that has provoked ethical, moral, spiritual, and social deliberations and examination (Harris & Hawton, 2005). Civilization has fought with the notion of suicide as well as attempting to make coherent logic of the behaviors that proceed (Harris & Hawton, 2005). In managing such a multifaceted individual and social subject, therapists may come across copious ethical trials which must be resolved in order to be operative specialists (Harris & Hawton, 2005).

AJP (1997, November) Book Forum Suicide and Aging: International Perspectives. (n.d.). Retrieved April 19, 2018, from

Depression and suicide are major problems in the world today. Whether it is because we hear more about it or whether because of the stress people put on themselves, we hear about older people who do suicide pacts because of health problems or young people overdosing on drugs. Professionals have to deal with people every day in various stages of depression. We all have times when we have set-backs to deal with, but how much it affects our lives is what these chapters discuss.

“More Americans under age 19 now die each year from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, pneumonia, lung disease, and birth defects combined, said Tom Simon ,” (Partner). Suicide can be caused by many things and affects everyone across the world young and old alike. Domestic Violence can negatively affect the ones involved, but it mostly affects the kids who witness it. Divorce is another factor that affect people, however, some kids carry the blame on themselves and they feel responsible about the divorce which can lead them to depression and ultimately suicide.

Dr. Christine Moutier says, “The message being delivered is that if you kill yourself, become the most popular kid in school” (Kutner). What she means by this is that when a teen decides to end their life, not only will their friends be grieving and talking about them but the ‘popular’ kids will too. Mental health professionals and educators have also found that students are extremely susceptible to their peers' positive support (Hinckley). When the media reports on these cases, it draws positive support towards the subject therefore leading teens’ perception to change. The influence of a suicide can be blown out of focus when the media attention is intense. Specialists said, "For certain groups of vulnerable students, that can become very tempting" (Schworm). Teens also seem to think that they are really going to teach whoever is the cause of their troubles a lesson and they will pay for what they have done. The reality of that perception is dead wrong. Teens don’t realize that while that person may feel guilty, people move on. When you decide to commit suicide, there is no coming back. Christopher Button, a recently graduated health psychology student now a policy adviser with the U.S. Office of Disability Employment Policy from the University of Iowa, explains how adolescents lack the thinking skills to allow them to fully understand the finality of death. Young teens are also impulsive and

Suicide among adolescents and college students has become a major problem in the United States. In the last few years there has been a steady increase in the number of suicides on college campuses in the United States. In the United States suicide is the third leading cause of death among persons aged 15-24 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2015). A study conducted by the University of Virginia suggests that more college students die as a result of suicide than alcohol abuse (Turner & Keller, 2011). It has been reported by researchers are Emory University that suicide rates among 15-24 year olds has tripled, and there are over 1,100 suicides at colleges per year. Mental health problems among adolescents and young adults are nothing new, and there are many psychological conditions, such as schizophrenia, that usually develop during the late teens and early twenties. College students are under a lot of pressure and stress to do well in school. Pressure from parents, course workload, working, and being a student athlete leave many students feeling helpless. There are some who may seek help and find counselors, friends or family to confide in, but there are some who are afraid to speak up and that can lead to dangerous results.

Suicide has been a big problem over the years, but lately it has been a problem due to it increasing , Hailey Middlebrook from CNN who wrote Suicide Deaths On The Rise In Kids said, “Since 2007, the rate of suicide deaths among children between the ages of 10 and 14 has doubled”, the rise of suicide has increased a lot, each time the age of suicide begins to decrease. Younger kids seem to develop more feelings than

In adults, circumstances, for example, losing a job, money, and relationships can cause stress. In children, one would most likely imagine that there isn 't much that can bring about stress in a child. However, there are many things that can cause a child to be stressed. For instance, children have to deal with the pressure from their parents to get good grades. In addition, children have to deal with being accepted by their peers. All of these situations could lead to depression, which plays a huge role in child suicide. This article states, “Intense depression has been found to be the most prevalent characteristic of suicidal youths” (Wodarski & Harris, 1987, p. 478).

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

Suicide before the age of 15 is uncommon. Most of suicides among children and adolescents occur late in adolescence period. According to published data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2009, the suicide rate for children ages 10 to 14 was 1.3 per 100,000, adolescents ages 15 to 19 was 7.75, per 100,000, and for young adults ages 20 to 24 was 12.5 per 100,000. There is no doubt that the suicides rate are increasing day by day. According to a survey suicide is the second leading cause of death in Canadians and 27 other European Union countries

When discussing our topic of suicide, it became very clear how many hats a counselor wears in this process. Counselors need to be informed about the signs of suicide, knowledgeable about the resources available, and ready to work with others who make referrals or call on you for help in emergency or crisis situations. On top of all of that, another major concern comes up when a suicide actually occurs on their campus. When this occurs often counselors can see copycat suicides or the start of suicide pacts. Another aspect of suicide prevention, both before and after an attempt or completion, is dealing with the parents of not only the student in crisis, but of those who could be concerned or those this crisis may have affected. This can vary a great deal depending on where the parents are coming from in terms of their values and understanding of human development, and what the quality of relationships with their child and the school has been.

A young anonymous college freshman tells a story of the depression she faced throughout her first semester of college, through the transition and her roommate issues. Not only did it occur during her first semester, but through her second as well. Unfortunately, the depression overtook her life to the point of her desire to commit suicide. Luckily, she changed her mind in the last second and saved herself (Reachout.com). This young student is not just one of few depressed college students, but she is one of many. Colleges must take more responsibility of mental health issues, like depression, by researching the causes and effects while discovering beneficial treatments that promote the students’ overall