ALARMING SITUATION : "TEEN SUICIDE"

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ALARMING SITUATION : "TEEN SUICIDE"

A mother finds her 15 year old teenage daughter hanging from the rafters of their basement. To hear this occurrence is not rare in society today. Every 90 minutes a teenager in this country commits suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds. The National suicide rate has increased 78% between 1952 and 1992. The rate for 15-19 year olds rose from two per 100,000 to 12.9, more than 600 percent.

15 year old girl, Shivani, came home from school to find his mother lying on the sofa with a strained back.Being concerned for her she rubbed her back briefly then put on some easy listening music then proceeded downstairs to her bedroom. Two of her friends came to the door. Her mother waited to see if she would return to answer it; minutes later she answered and then yelled for her to come up. When she did not come, she went downstairs to get her. That is when she found her daughter's body dangling from the ceiling. This is a senseless tragic sight for a mother to endure. The mortality rate from suicide in 1996 showed 9.5 per 100,000 for 15-19 year olds. This also shows boys are four times more likely to commit suicide then girls. However, girls are twice as likely to attempt suicide. It is imperative to reverse this trend and in doing so we need to understand the characteristics, behaviors and events associated with youth suicide.

There are many risk factors associated with suicidal ideation and attempts. Risk factors include self-destructive behavior which may be related to life events, unfavorable home environments, or a genetic component. Personality traits like aggression and hostility or feeling introverted or hopeless play a role in suicides. Loss of control, poor problem solving techniques, or rigid cognitive life styles is also characteristics of suicides. Similar traits are found in depressive behaviors. Teenagers may have been exposed to others who have had suicidal behaviors.

A previous suicide attempt is the best predictor of future suicidal behavior. Without intervention, a failed suicide rehersal may be followed by one that results in death. There are also warning signs for increased suicide risks. These factors include changes in behavior such as being prone to accidents, drug and alcohol abuse, physical violence towards self or animals, decreased appetite, withdrawal from family and friends, running away, low grades in school, unkept appearances, notes with suicidal contents, taking risks, purchasing weapons.

Shivani had these changes in behavior; other warning signs are change in mood. This can be difficult during teenage years because while growing physically and mentally teenagers have dramatic changes in moods. Significant suicidal warning signs are expressions of hopelessness, impending doom, explosive rage, highs and lows, after periods of depression a sudden display of cheerfulness, crying spills, insomnia or too much sleep, a decline in self-respect.

Changes in thinking is a warning sign such as difficulty concentrating, concentrating on morbid or death things, hearing voices, seeing visions, expressing bizarre beliefs, irrational speech, and having a sudden interest or disinterest in religion. Living in a dysfunctional family due to separation or divorce, loss of an important relationship such as a friend or even a pet may also contribute to suicide. Another warning sign may be changes in life events such as with Douglas Stewart. He may have been influenced by other friends or teenagers that died due to suicide. These warning signs are just possible indicators and need to be a piece of a very large puzzle. Going back to Douglas Stewart we find many warning signs and risks.

Suicide is an action; it is not an illness. Suicide is the final act of a person experiencing severe pain and desperation, but what about those who are left behind to cope. The "survivors" are the relatives, friends, acquaintances and caregivers of a suicide victim- the bereaved. There are four major forces confronting the survivor- the question Why, the shame, guilt and the anger associated with losing a loved one.

The reasons behind a teen's suicide or attempted suicide can be complex. Although suicide is relatively rare among children, the rate of suicides and suicide attempts increases tremendously during adolescence.

The risk of suicide increases dramatically when kids and teens have access tofirearms at home, and nearly 60% of all suicides in the United States are committed with a gun. That's why any gun in your home should be unloaded, locked, and kept out of the reach of children and teens. Ammunition should be stored and locked apart from the gun, and the keys for both should be kept in a different area from where you store your household keys. Always keep the keys to any firearms out of the reach of children and adolescents.

Suicide rates differ between boys and girls. Girls think about and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and tend to attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs or cutting themselves. Yet boys die by suicide about four times as often girls, perhaps because they tend to use more lethal methods, such as firearms, hanging, or jumping from heights.

Why? Why? Why? This is a small but powerful question and usually an unanswered question of conflicting theories.

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