Teenage Suicide and Prevention
TEENAGE SUICIDE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION Page 1
TEENAGE SUICIDE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION
TROY UNIVERSITY
TEENAGE SUICIDE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION Page 2 The article that I chose to write about pertains to teenage suicide. The author, Kay Wyma, goes on to discuss one method of helping to prevent suicide among teenagers, that being instilling in them a sense of being needed, or "connectedness". According to Wyma, one way that this can be accomplished is through responsibilities. She believes that feeling "needed" by or "connected" to someone or something larger than one 's self could have a direct positive impact on preventing suicide among teenagers. While Wyma certainly does not dismiss or diminish metal illness or psychosis, she does feel as though "connectedness" being prevalent would certainly be beneficial and could possibly prevent the senseless loss of lives. Suicide, better defined as "the action of killing one 's self intentionally" is the third leading cause of death for teenagers today (Wyma). Suicide is an applied example of developmental psychology in that research and studies have linked teenage suicide to developmental issues or problems that occur over a person 's lifespan. Some of those developmental issues (discussed in more detail below) have been identified as anything from bullying, to abuse, to family problems, to mental health disorders (i.e. depression). Studies tend to focus on adolescents and their lifestyles, home/family environment, social environment, mental health, medical history, etc., as a way of trying to determine who may be more "at-risk" of suicide and preventing them from suffering this tragedy that is plaguing our youth. Bullying is swiftly becoming a major factor in the continuity of suicide among teenagers. It is during these tender years of adolescence that a young person is developing a sense of self and figuring out who they are. When bullies launch their
TEENAGE SUICIDE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION
TROY UNIVERSITY
TEENAGE SUICIDE AND POSSIBLE PREVENTION Page 2 The article that I chose to write about pertains to teenage suicide. The author, Kay Wyma, goes on to discuss one method of helping to prevent suicide among teenagers, that being instilling in them a sense of being needed, or "connectedness". According to Wyma, one way that this can be accomplished is through responsibilities. She believes that feeling "needed" by or "connected" to someone or something larger than one 's self could have a direct positive impact on preventing suicide among teenagers. While Wyma certainly does not dismiss or diminish metal illness or psychosis, she does feel as though "connectedness" being prevalent would certainly be beneficial and could possibly prevent the senseless loss of lives. Suicide, better defined as "the action of killing one 's self intentionally" is the third leading cause of death for teenagers today (Wyma). Suicide is an applied example of developmental psychology in that research and studies have linked teenage suicide to developmental issues or problems that occur over a person 's lifespan. Some of those developmental issues (discussed in more detail below) have been identified as anything from bullying, to abuse, to family problems, to mental health disorders (i.e. depression). Studies tend to focus on adolescents and their lifestyles, home/family environment, social environment, mental health, medical history, etc., as a way of trying to determine who may be more "at-risk" of suicide and preventing them from suffering this tragedy that is plaguing our youth. Bullying is swiftly becoming a major factor in the continuity of suicide among teenagers. It is during these tender years of adolescence that a young person is developing a sense of self and figuring out who they are. When bullies launch their
References: Belsky, J. (2010). Experiencing the Lifespan. (2nd ed.). New York: Worth Publishing. depression. 2013. In Merriam-Webster.com. Retrieved January 23, 2013, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/depression Wyma, K. (2013, January 16). Could Responsibilities Help prevent Teenage Suicide? The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.NYTimes.com (http://parenting.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/16/could-responsibilities-help-prevent- teenage-suicide/)