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Teen Suicide

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Teen Suicide
Abstract
Suicide amongst teenagers is a growing pandemic. However, it is preventable. The key to preventing teen suicides and attempted suicides is being aware and knowledgeable about the subject. Knowing what causes a teen to commit or attempt to commit suicide and what factors increase a teenagers risk of committing or attempting to commit suicide are the first steps towards preventing teen suicide. Teenagers are highly susceptible to suicide largely due to the way puberty affects their brains and behaviors. It is also important to understand what effects the suicide of a teen has on his or her surviving family and friends and how to help them during the grieving process. The death of a young person through suicide can have a different effect on his or her family than a death by other means. The most important thing to remember about preventing teen suicide is to know the signs and to get treatment (often psychiatric treatment, because the causes are mostly mental) for each underlying cause as early as possible.

Teen suicide is a very real and serious issue. Suicide is one of the leading causes of death amongst teenagers. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause for death amongst youth between the ages of 10 and 24, and it claims approximately 4,600 teen lives a year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also reports that the number of teen suicides and attempted suicides is on the rise in recent years. With the number of youths attempting and committing suicide increasing it is important to know what causes teens to attempt suicide, warning signs to look for, the effect suicide has on those left behind, and what can be done to prevent teen suicide. First, it is important to know what causes a teen to attempt suicide. Suicide in anyone of any age has been associated with a person’s brain chemistry. “Research shows that the risk for suicide is associated with changes in



Cited: American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Key Research Findings. Retrieved from http://www.afsp.org/preventing-suicide/key-research-findings Bergeson, Boyd. (June 22, 2010). Is Puberty Stressful? Retrieved from http://www.livestrong.com/article/155873-stress-in-puberty/ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012). Suicide Prevention: Youth Suicide. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/pub/ youth_suicide.html Cornette, Michelle M., & Busch, Andrew M. Stress and Suicide. Retrieved from http://charlesekublyfoundation.org/resource-center/resource- articles/stress-and-suicide/ Cvinar, JG. (2005). Do suicide survivors suffer social stigma: a review of the literature [Abstract]. Perspectives In Psychiatric Care, 41(1), 14-21. Abstract retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15822848 Dupont, Sandra. (August 21, 2013). Understanding the Teenage Brain. Retrieved from http://www.losangelesteentherapist.com/experiencing-mood-swings/ Lindgvist, Per, & Johansson, Lars, & Karlsson, Urban. (April 21, 2008). In the aftermath of teenage suicide: A qualitative study of the psychosocial consequences for the surviving family members. BMC Psychiatry 2008, 8, 26. doi: 10.1186/1471-244X-8-26. National Institute of Mental Health. (2011) The Teen Brain: Still Under Construction. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health /publications/the-teen-brain-still-under-construction/index.shtml National Institute of Mental Health. Suicide In the U.S.: Statistics and Prevention. Retrieved from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/ suicide-in-the-us-statistics-and-prevention/index.shtml#Genetics The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Teen suicide. Retrieved from http://medicalcenter.osu.edu/patientcare/healthcare_services/mental_heal th/mental_health_about/children/suicide/Pages/index.aspx

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