Preview

Adolescents and Suicide

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1457 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Adolescents and Suicide
Adolescents and Suicide
Claudia vartgess
Alliant International University

Abstract
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 13 to 24. In recent years, suicide has increased at an alarming rate in adolescents. One in five teenagers in the United States considers suicide, in 2003, 8 percent of adolescents attempted suicide. It can affect teens from all races, both genders, and socioeconomic groups. According to a 2004 report distributed by the National Institute of Mental Health identified that psychological, environmental, and biological are the possible causes for suicidal distress. The risk for suicide frequently occurs in combination with external circumstances, lack of coping skills, substance abuse, and depression the most common psychiatric disorder in people who die in suicide. Adolescent suicide can be prevented by recognizing the possible symptoms and warning signs. Suicide prevention programs, crisis center hotlines, screening programs, seek to identify at risk adolescents and provide them with the proper treatment and reduce suicidal ideation.

Adolescents and Suicide The number of adolescent deaths from suicide in the United States increased dramatically during the last few years between the ages of 13 to 24, surpassed only by homicide and accidents. According to data collected by the Center for Disease Control and prevention (CDC) in 2003, 8 percent of adolescents attempted suicide, representing 1 million teenagers, of whom nearly 300,000 receive medical attention for their attempt; and approximately 1,700 teenagers died by suicide each year (Moskos, Achilles, & Gray, 2004). Moskos, Achilles, and Gray (2004) found causes of suicidal distress which were associated to psychological, environmental, and biological factors. Mental illness is a leading risk factor for suicide. Depression is the most common psychiatric disorder in people who died by suicide. In a systematic review of the international literature

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    Each year, thousands of teenagers die, not from accidents, cancer, illness, or diseases but by their own hands. Children have begun turning to suicide for a way out. Teenager is becoming a larger problem in today's society. There are certain groups of people are higher risk than others, there are many different reasons people turn to suicide, and many warning signs that are easy to pick up on to help someone in need.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Pig Paper

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The recent research has shown that suicide is the “third leading cause of death among young people fifteen to twenty four, fourth leading cause of death for ages between twenty five to forty four, the eighth leading cause of death for ages forty five to sixty four” (2012). Over all suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. One of the main questions about suicide is why. The research shows that the “number one reason of suicide among youth is untreated, undiagnosed or ineffectively treated depression”(Gould).…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Determining why children and adolescents commit suicide is a concern that many individuals in the helping professions face. Obviously, they commit suicide because they are depressed in many instances, but it is also accurate to say that there are other reasons why many of these adolescents choose to take their own lives. Some of them are involved in substance abuse and other issues that cause them to think suicide is the right idea. Others are involved with crowds of other adolescents that drag them down into painful issues and problems that they have trouble facing. When this happens, some of these individuals begin to feel that they are trapped in these problems, and the only way that some of them find to escape those problems is through…

    • 4556 Words
    • 19 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Suicide is the act of intentionally terminating one’s own life. The suicide rate among American adolescents has intensely increased during the last fifty years. Adolescent suicide has become an epidemic, attempted suicide is even a greater epidemic. “For every adolescent who commits suicide, four hundred teens report attempting suicide, one hundred report requiring medical attention for a suicide attempt, and thirty are hospitalized for a suicide attempt” (David M. Cutler, 2001). Each year in the United States, thousands of adolescents commit suicide. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide is the third leading cause of death between the ages of fifteen to nineteen, and the sixth leading cause of death…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Teen Suicide

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Teen suicide has been a hot topic in America for several decades. Sadly, suicide is the third leading cause of death among teenagers. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, one in every eight teens have had thoughts about suicide and experts estimate for every teen suicide death there are ten attempts. There are many factors that increase the risk to take one’s life today in the United States. Depression, alcoholism, drug addiction, family history of abuse, stress over school are just a few. Many teenagers that commit suicide suffer from mental illness. Diagnosed as bipolar with severe depression and manic episodes or schizophrenia that is characterized with hallucinations make teens feel unable to cope.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    According to U.S. Census Bureau estimates, there were 41,731,233 youth age 10-19 in the United States, which accounted for 13% of the total U.S. population, in 2015. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure that all these adolescents are given the proper care and resources to help prevent suicide and suicidal thoughts. Adolescent suicide or attempted suicide not only affects the deceased, but the effects ripple through family, classmates, and the community overall. Therefore, it is necessary to intervene early on to avoid another potential suicide. This study will help benefit adolescents who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. Furthermore, it will help equip family, schools, and the community with the tools and knowledge that is necessary to…

    • 171 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teen Suicide

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Teen suicide, a harrowing but realistic cause of death that is consuming our nations youth. Next to homicide and car accidents, taking one's life is the third leading cause of death of teens, ages 15 through 24. Teen suicide is on a rapid rise throughout the us and mostly goes unnoticed until too late. It is important to understand and recognize the symptoms and actions of the suicidal. Causes to make one wish to take one's life are are things such as depression, pressure at school or with friends, and instability at home. Being educated on the causes and aware of teen's behavior can aid in the prevention of this ever growing tragedy.…

    • 684 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Only in the past two decades, have depression and suicide been taken seriously. Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood and thoughts. Depression affects the way a person eats and sleeps, feels about themselves, and the way they think of the things around them. It comes as no surprise to discover that adolescent depression is strongly linked to teen suicide. Adolescent suicide is now responsible for more deaths in youths aged 15 to 19 than cardiovascular disease or cancer (Blackman, 1995). Teen suicide has more than tripled since the 1960's (Santrock, 2003). Despite this alarming increased suicide rate, depression in this age group is largely under-diagnosed and can lead to serious difficulties in school, work, and personal adjustment, which may continue into adulthood.…

    • 2427 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teen Suicide

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages

    (Peacock 1) Introduction (continued) • In 2004, 88% of the teens who self-harm do it to attempt suicide (Kim 2). • Those who self-harm should be hospitalized to prevent a suicide attempt (Kim 2). • Self-harm has a higher frequency and involving several methods with a lower of wanting to die (Kim 2). • Teen suicide can be prevented and should never be an option for anybody.…

    • 715 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Suicide Intervention

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages

    The overall rate of suicide among adolescents 1 to 24 years old has tripled in the past 60 years and it is now the second leading cause of death among college students. More teenagers and young adults from suicide than from all medical illnesses combined.…

    • 930 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Mental illnesses among teenagers is far from a recent epidemic. There have been signs and records of suicidal behavior from teens going as far back as 1950’s. Since then the number of suicides per year has continually increased. In the year 1968 118 children aged 5-14 commit suicide in the U.S., currently as of 2016 it is estimated that the annual number of teens/youths committing suicide each year between the ages of 10 and 24 is 4,600. The amount of suicides per year has increased to occur 40 times as many times as it did 50 years ago. The cause for the increase may however may not be what it seems. The results of a study of suicidal behavior among college students, carried out among colleges and universities in Los Angeles County under…

    • 1906 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Teenage Suicide

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Teenage suicide has become a critical, national problem the extent of which is mind boggling. From 1980 to 1992 the rate of suicides involving persons from the ages of 10-14 years old has increased by 120 percent, and has increased 28.3 percent when involving persons from the ages of 15-19 years old (Suicide 451). More recently in a poll of 3,210 high-school honor students, a stunning one-quarter have seriously considered suicide (Eaton 15). Suicides have been proven to be one of the leading causes of death among teens, falling second only to accidents (Roberts 45). This data, however, may be inaccurate, being that deaths labeled accidental may have actually been teen suicides. Also, many families may not want to report suicides or suicide attempts for the fear of embarrassment. Nevertheless, there is extensive proof that suicide attempts and/or successes are on the rise among teenagers, and numerous groups have devoted themselves to establishing a cause to this epidemic. The one similarity that all of these different groups seem to agree on is that there is not one single theory that explains the growing phenomenon of teenage suicide. However, a number of factors seem to be common among "at-risk teens," factors that, if given the right set of circumstances, could put them in jeopardy.…

    • 1229 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Suicide and the Media

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages

    In 2005, one young person in the United States committed suicide every two hours. That’s approximately 4,500 teen suicides! Of those, 100 to 200 teens died in clusters. In many cases, the additional victims were friends of the teen or identified strongly with something about his story reported in the news.…

    • 692 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Teenage Suicide

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Suicide is defined as the deliberate taking of ones own life (“Teen Suicide,” 2008). According to Schimelpfening, suicide is considered to be the most tragic complication of untreated depression today (Schimelpfening, 2009). It is is the third leading cause of death among young people aged 15-24 ("Teen suicide statistics,"…

    • 1260 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    suicide

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Suicide is a serious public health problem that affects even young people. It is the eighth-leading cause of death overall in the U.S. and the third-leading cause of death for young people between the ages of 15 and 24 years Suicide results in approximately 4600 lives lost each year. Even though the number of actual suicides seems alarming, the number of attempts is even more astronomical. [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention]…

    • 818 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays