Youth suicide

Youth suicide is when a young person, generally categorized as someone

below age 21, deliberately ends their own life. Rates of attempted and
completed youth suicide in Western societies and other countries are high.
Youth suicide attempts are more common among girls, but adolescent males
are the ones who usually carry out suicide.[1] Suicide rates in youths have
nearly tripled between the 1960s and 1980s.[2] For example,
in Australia suicide is second only to motor vehicle accidents as it leading
cause of death for people aged 1525,[3] and according to the National
Institute for Mental Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death among
teens in the United States.[4] Based on a survey done on American high
school students, 16% reported considering suicide and 8% reported
attempting suicide sometime within the 12 months before taking the survey.
[5]
Between 1980 and 1994, the suicide rates of young black males
doubled. American Indians and Alaska Natives commit suicide at a higher
rate than any other ethnic group in the United States.[6] In India, one-third of
suicides are young people 1529. In 2002, 154,000 suicides were recorded in
India.[7]

Signs Shown by a Suicidal Teen

Adolescents show certain signs that indicate that they are suicidal. Suicidal
teens tend to show a drastic change in their eating habits, sleeping habits,
and personality. They also isolate themselves from friends and family and
usually turn towards bad decision making such as showing violent behavior
and abusing drugs and alcohol. An important sign that most of the suicidal
youth shows is a loss of interest in many things.[8]

Suicide contagion

According to research carried in by the Commission for Children and Young

People and Child Guardian in 2007, 39% of all youth suicides are completed
by young people who have lost someone of influence or significance to them
to suicide. The Commission terms this suicide contagion and makes several
recommendations as to the importance of safeguarding young people and
communities from suicide contagion.

In 2011 the Australian Federal Parliament Standing Committee for Health and
Ageing Inquiry into Youth Suicide met in a round table forum with young
representatives from three organisations at the forefront of preventing youth
suicide, including Sunnykids,[9] Inspire, and Boys Town. The Standing
Committee has since released a discussion paper highlighting the findings of
their inquiry[10] and will seek to make final recommendations on the most
effective means for reducing youth suicide at the conclusion of their inquiry.

Teens at risk

One of the problems is getting psychiatric counseling when it's needed.[11] "In
teenagers, depression is considered a major - if not the leading - cause of
teen suicide.".[12] Factors and risks contributed to youth suicide are academic
pressure, alcohol consumption, the loss of a valued relationship, frequent
change of residency, and poor family patterns.[13]Gay teens or those unsure
of their sexual identity are more likely to commit suicide, particularly if they
have suffered bullying or harassment. In the United States, about 60 percent
of suicides are carried out with a gun so risk of suicide increases in
households with a firearm.[14] In Canada, almost 300 young people take their
lives each year. Some Aboriginal teens and gay or lesbian teens are at high
risk, depending on their community and their own self-esteem.[15] Several
campaigns have been started to give them hope and help them to feel less
isolated.

It Gets Better[16]

Born This Way[17] Lack of impulse control has been found to

differentiate adolescent suicide attempters from a control group of
adolescents with an acute illness (Slap, Vorters, Chaudhuri, & Centor,
 1988). However, impulsivity does not seem to characterize all suicide
attempters, since group comparisons have found no differences between
suicidalpatients and psychiatric controls on a measure of cognitive
impulsivity (Patsiokas, Clum, & Luscomb, 1979). Instead, impulsivity may
be important in identifying high risk subgroups * I Get Bullied Too[18]

Previous exposure, attempts, and age impacting youth suicide[edit]

Exposure to suicide, previous attempts of suicide, and age are some of the
most influential factors of young individuals and their probability of
committing suicide. Adolescent exposure to suicide through classmates has
caused researches to hypothesize suicide as a contagion. They note how a
childs exposure to suicide predicts suicide ideation and attempts.[19] Previous
exposure to suicide through parental attempts of suicide also have been
found to have a 3.5 increase in a youths probability of having suicidal
thoughts, with a 2.6 increased chance of them attempting suicide.[20]

Previous attempts of suicide also play a major role in a youth attempting

suicide again. On average, it has been recorded that the follow-up period for
suicide-attempters was 3.88 years.[21] Evidence shows that the primary
suspects for suicide, are those who failed in their original attempts at suicide,
with research claiming that those previously attempting suicide can have
anywhere from a 40 to over a 100 times higher chance of committing suicide
compared to that of the general population.[22]

Age and experience however, also factors into suicide. It has been found that
older, more experienced populations take more time to plan, choosing
deadlier methods, and having greater suicidal intent, which results in them
eventually committing suicide at a higher rate than the younger suicide
attempters.[23]

Bereavement among young people[edit]

The primary goals of suicide postvention include assisting the survivors of

suicide with the grief process, and identifying and referring those survivors
who may be at risk for negative outcomes such as depressive and anxiety
disorders, and suicidal behaviour. With 42% of completed youth suicides
being suicide bereavement (or contagion) related - further research and
investment must be made into supporting this group of people, as they may
represent the single largest potential reduction in youth suicide rates, if they
receive effective support, feel connected, supported and understood.
Harassment is a leading cause of teen suicide, along with abuse.

Intervention[edit]

One organization in Australia has found that young people who feel
connected, supported and understood are less likely to commit suicide.
Reports on the attitudes of young people identified as at risk of suicide have
been released.[24] Such reports support the notion that connectedness, a
sense of being supported and respected are protective factors for young
people at risk of suicide. According to Pueblo Suicide Prevention Center
(PSPC) for some reason kids today are experiencing more pressure.

Issues for communities[edit]

Intervention issues for communities to address include: suicide contagion,

developmental understanding of suicide, development and suicide risk, and
the influence of culture. Key matters in postvention responses for young
people include: community context, life stage relevance of responses,
identification and referral (Postvention Co-ordination), developing a suite of
services, and creating ongoing options.

Prevention[edit]

One can help prevent adolescent suicide by discouraging isolation, address a

child's depression which is correlated with suicide, get rid of any objects that
a child could use to commit suicide, and simply paying attention to what the
child does or feels.[25]
Schools are a great place to provide more education and support on suicide
prevention since students spend majority of their time at school, school can
be either a haven from or a source of suicidal triggers, and students' peers
can heavily influence their state of mind. The School setting is an ideal
environment to educate students on suicide and have support readily
available.