Adolescent Suicide: Nursing Interventions and Risk Factors
This paper provides a comprehensive overview of adolescent suicide as a public health concern, examining the key risk factors that contribute to suicidal ideation and behavior among youth ages 10–19. Drawing on peer-reviewed research and clinical guidelines, the paper analyzes the roles of mental illness history, social media use, bullying, and antidepressant prescribing in elevating adolescent suicide risk. It then outlines the nursing profession's responsibilities across primary, secondary, and tertiary intervention levels, including community resources such as the Suicide Prevention Lifeline and The Trevor Project. Ethical considerations around confidentiality and duty to warn are also addressed, alongside cultural and gender-based factors that psychiatric nurses must consider when caring for at-risk adolescent populations.
- Introduction: Scope and rising rates of adolescent suicide
- Factors Contributing to Adolescent Suicide: Mental illness, social media, bullying, antidepressants
- Problems Caused by Adolescent Suicide in Society: Individual, family, and copycat societal effects
- Role of the Psychiatric and Community Health Nurse: Primary, secondary, tertiary, and community interventions
- Ethical Issues: Confidentiality, duty to warn, patient trust
- Gender, Culture, and Other Considerations: Cultural context and identity factors in care
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What makes this paper effective
- Integrates multiple peer-reviewed sources to build a layered, evidence-based argument about risk factors rather than relying on a single study.
- Applies a clear three-tier nursing framework (primary, secondary, tertiary) that gives practical structure to what might otherwise be a diffuse clinical topic.
- Raises the correlation-versus-causation distinction at key points (social media use, antidepressant prescribing), demonstrating analytical thinking beyond simple fact-reporting.
- Addresses intersectional considerations—gender, culture, LGBT identity—adding nuance to the clinical discussion without overstating the evidence.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper consistently distinguishes between statistical association and causation when interpreting research findings, a critical skill in health sciences writing. This is most evident in the sections on antidepressant use and social media, where the author acknowledges FDA black-box warnings while noting that depressed teens are more likely to receive antidepressants in the first place—showing that statistical correlation does not automatically imply a direct causal relationship.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with epidemiological framing and then moves through contributing risk factors (mental illness, social media/bullying, antidepressants) before addressing societal consequences. The core applied section follows the nursing intervention hierarchy (primary → secondary → tertiary → community resources), and the paper closes with ethical and cultural considerations. This funnel structure—from population-level data to individualized clinical practice—is well-suited to a public health nursing audience.
Introduction
Despite the idea that adolescents are in the prime of life, adolescence is one of the most fraught periods of human development, at least within the context of contemporary Western culture. Adolescent suicide was an acknowledged mental health risk even before reliable statistics were kept on the issue, and the numbers continue to be sobering. According to Bloch (2016), suicide is the second most common cause of death for adolescents ages 10–19, and even more adolescents contemplate suicide—an estimated one in every seven; one in every thirteen makes a so-called unsuccessful attempt (p. 1). Even more troubling is the fact that rates are apparently increasing: adolescent suicides have risen by 25% over the past 15 years (Bloch, 2016).
The reasons for this increase are unclear and continue to be debated. Regardless, the act of an adolescent taking his or her own life must remain a public health priority. Furthermore, the degree to which this is a gendered issue must be considered, given that the spike in suicides among females has been particularly dramatic—a 75% increase over the past 15 years (Bloch, 2016, p. 1).
References
Bloch, M. (2016). Reducing adolescent suicide. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 57(7), 773–774. http://doi.org/10.1111/jcpp.12585
Driessen, E., & Hollon, S. D. (2010). Cognitive behavioral therapy for mood disorders: Efficacy, moderators and mediators. The Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 33(3), 537–555. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.psc.2010.04.005
Mental health professionals' duty to warn. (2018). National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). Retrieved from http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/mental-health-professionals-duty-to-warn.aspx
Shain, B. (2016). Teen suicide: A closer look at three key factors. American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Retrieved from http://www.aappublications.org/news/2016/06/27/Suicide062716
Strandheim, A., Bjerkeset, O., Gunnell, D., Bjornelv, S., Lingaas, T., & Bentzen, N. (2014). Risk factors for suicidal thoughts in adolescence—a prospective cohort study: The Young-HUNT study. BMJ Open. Retrieved from https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/4/8/e005867
Suicide Prevention Lifeline. (2018). Retrieved from https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/
The Trevor Project. (2018). Retrieved from https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
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