Teen Suicide Suicidal Behaviors Among Teenagers Remain

Teen Suicide

Suicidal behaviors among teenagers remain a national menace. It has been found from large scale national survey data that about 20.5% teens harbored suicide thoughts within 12 months while about 7.7% attempted suicide at least once within this period (Centers for Disease Control, 1998a), suggesting that a large number of youths stand the risks of being prone to suicide. This is most applicable for young boys. A good example is the 1995 data which showed that the number of boys that committed suicide whose ages fell between 15 and 19 were about five times more the number of girls who committed suicide (Kramer Gould, 2001)

Researches carried out on American high school students showed that the total number of teens having suicide thoughts and considering suicide as a solution to their depressions reduced significantly between 1991 and 1997, but a notable increase was recorded on students who attempted suicide during this period (Brener, Krug & Simon, 2000). Further, disturbing rates of increase in suicide attempts by some groups such as the African-American youths (Centers for Disease Control, 1998b) and all kids whose ages range between 10 and 14 were also recorded. For these two groups of young people, suicide tendencies doubled in the 1990s. The rates of suicidal behaviors (which include suicide thoughts, suicide attempts, and suicide completion) both within and across different teenage groups continues to be uncomfortably high. Recent studies have shown that the second major cause of deaths among Caucasian youths as well as the third cause of death among African-Americans youths is suicide (Kalafat & Elias, 1995). Suicide thoughts, attempts and completions has become such a disturbing issue in the United States that the U.S. surgeon general had to make its prevention a major area of focus during his tenure. (U.S. public health service 1999)

Recent Trends in Teenage Suicide Cases

According to Apter (2010), the epidemiology of teenage suicide is a very interesting story. He opined that the 20th century witnessed a consistent increase of young male suicide cases which was interrupted by reductions during World War 1 & 11; interestingly, suicide cases involving male youths has been on the decline since the 1990s. The increase in the number of cars with catalytic converters and reductions in the rates of divorce and unemployment can be said to be responsible for this decline in teenage suicide. Though refuted by Biddle et al., researchers, mostly in the U.S., argued that selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors were relevant in explaining the reduction in the rates of teenage suicide. According to Apter (2010), but disputed by Wheeler et al., the introduction of the black box admonition lead to an increase in the rate of youth suicide. Several authors claimed this increase was due to the decrease in the recommendations of these agents.

Apter (2010) further opined that another important epidemiological discovery made in recent times is the trend of suicide among youths in places like; Southern India, Singapore and China where the accepted norm of male suicide being high does not hold. In these places, young girls are more prone to suicide than young boys. Suicide cases involving these young girls from these Asian countries are hardly related to cases on dementia which is responsible for most suicide cases in the West. The most common means of suicide among these girls is by consuming some lethal pesticides. Unarguably, one of the most proactive ways to curb youth suicide in these locations is by banning the use of pesticides (Apter, 2010).

In a related study, Apter (2010) further argues that some possible psychologically related risk factors that are attracting attentions in recent times include memories of over-blown person histories such as inability to proffer solution to problems, frequent occurrences of angry outbursts, and relationships with others. Some other factors that can increase the impulse for suicide in youths under depression are some in-born traits and behaviors such as emotional regulation and their natural temperaments. Suicidal behavior in youths can also be linked to so many mental-related anomalies, which include; schizophrenia, eating disorders, as well as every kind of depression, particularly bipolar disorder (Apter, 2010).

According to researches carried out by Katherine and Robin (2007), majority of the relationships between suicide tendencies in youths and different interpretations of social support emphasize the importance of seeing interpersonal relationships from the youths' point-of-view. Suicide thoughts and attempts have been found to be encouraged by lack of support from friends and family. Loneliness and isolation are known to increase the thoughts of suicide in depressed youths. Additionally, Katherine and Robin (2007) discovered that close family ties, close friendships, and social supports go a long way to discourage suicide thoughts and attempts (Ferguson et al., 2003; Kimbrough et al., 1996; Paulson & Everall, 2003; Rubenstein et al., 1998). According to earlier researches (Allen & Land 1999), closeness in relationships plays a major role in helping youths achieve psychological, social and emotional stability. Attachment is that long-lasting bond of love and affection that breeds between the child and its caregiver during the early developmental stages and affects all aspects of the child's life till adulthood (Bowlby, 1979). These bonds of attachment are responsible for all growths and developments in infancy. They are equally relevant as the child grows into an adult (Katherine and Robin, 2007). According to (Allen & Land, 1999), changing nature of relationships makes most youths prone to adolescence depressions and mental distress. There is always uncertainty in youths as to whether to hold on to the relationships they already have with family and friends or to build new ones and fit into new circles. The need for independence and self-discovery strains the relationship between these youths and their parents. Researchers (Allen & Land, 1999) argue that despite the fact that those parents no longer play major roles in the lives of their adolescent kids, the relationship they have built still continues to be a rallying point during times of turbulence and depressions.

Researches carried out by (Cretzmeyer, 2003; Firestone et al., 2003) prove that this trend also applies to forester parents like teachers, Godparents, grandparents, elder siblings, youth care workers, who are always there to support these youths when their parents fail to provide them with the needed supports. The existence of secure relationships with parents and other family members is always needed to give youths the level of courage they need to become independent individuals. According to Katherine and Robin (2007), youths who are provided with the needed supports are known to have a competitive edge in their social engagements and relationships as adults. Similarly, researches by Jennifer et al., (2007) found out that many psychological uncertainties and problems come with adolescence; but it is equally the stage in life when youths get adequate support and strength from the peer group they belong to. Due to the importance of peer relationships in psychological developments, youths who do not have the privilege of enjoying the protections of beneficial ties with a peer group are more prone to psychological risks.