Teen Depression and Suicide

Comparing to the suicide attempt, completion of suicidal death is less frequent. However, attempted to suicidal death refers the warning sign and high possibility of suicidal death among young. The youth often attempted to suicide after occurrence of family conflict, break up of love relationship, or any other stressful events. Young people who attempt to suicide after such events are mostly susceptible due to having some other ongoing difficulties. To help the young people from suicidal risk, it is very much vital for the parents or other members or friends to have the details of young suicide including facts, signs, causes and treatment procedures.

The top common facts of young depression are:

• In USA, suicide is the third leading cause of death and in Canada; suicide is the second leading cause of death for young people age between 15-24 years.
• Comparing to last 30 years suicide thought or suicidal death has markedly increased among young or teens.
• 9 young people out of 10 attempted suicides in their own living place.
• Most of the teens generally attempted suicide 30 to 50 times to complete suicidal death.
• The rate of suicide attempted is higher in female young whereas the rate of suicidal death is higher among young male.
• The suicidal thought is more risky for those young who have attempted suicide before.
• Young boy or male chose more lethal or fierce method to complete suicide attempt.
• Only 33 to 50 % young are successfully diagnosed or screened by doctors during having suicidal thought or risk.
• Spring and fall are the two months which increase the rate of suicidal death among teens.
• About 80% of the teens show warning symptoms or signs of suicide risk.
• About half of the teens complete their suicide by using the firearm.
• Over 4,000 people age group between 15–24 years committed to suicide each year in the United States.
• The rate of suicide among young male is almost six times more than young females.
• According to race and ethnicity the rate of youth suicide could be vary.
• 70% of the teen who committed to suicide or attempted to suicide are found as the regular user of alcohol or other intoxicants.
• Most often other psychological illness rather than depression also lead the youth to develop suicidal thought.

There are some unusual symptoms which are only visible in a depressed young person, for example: reluctant to go to school, fear of losing their parents etc. However these signs are the indication of a general depressive state not a major or clinical state (responsible for suicidal thought or death among young). Generally the chances of suicidal death are more common among them who have made suicide attempts in the past.

There are very few but hazardous symptoms of suicidal state which are as follows:

• Talking of suicide
• Lack of interest in pleasurable activities
• Always being worried with death
• Marked loss or gain in weight
• Lack of fascination
• Indecisiveness or poor concentration
• Dizziness or sleeping disturbance
• Exhaustion
• Dependent on Drug or alcohol
• Disobey to parents or violent behavior
• Excessive Guilt feeling
• Extraction or saying goodbye to family and friends
• Indifferent about of personal look (ex-cleanliness, sanitation)
• Hallucinations or conflict with reality
• Continuous grief or irritation
• Extreme anxiety
• Continuous poor performance in study life

The Causes:

The causes behind teen suicide have not yet properly identified. But there are some common factors which contributed to suicidal risk are as follows:

• A family history of depression or other mental illness
• endless frustration
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Rejection from loved one
• Loss of loved one ( parents, partner, friends)
• Increased use of alcohol or drugs
• Family history of suicide
• Failure of study
• Previous suicide attempt
• Breaking up with a girlfriend or boyfriend
• Continuous family conflict
• Physical disability or serious illness and so on.

Role of family and friends

There are several ways through friends & family can help depressed victims in diagnosing the suicidal risks properly. Such as:

• Do not feel hesitate to talk with the sufferer.
• Accompany her/him to reduce feeling of loneliness.
• Try to listen to him/her carefully and ask how the young person is feeling.
• An approach to improve family communication and relationships might be helpful.
• Try to find out the duration of having suicidal thought and if she/he has made any suicidal attempt.
• Develop a plan to address the reasons that lead the young person to take suicide attempt.
• If you find your young person is depending upon drugs or alcohol then it is very essential to take him/her to the respective doctor or G. P. as it is one of major signs of suicidal dead.
• If the young person is actively suicidal or showing the warning signs of suicidal risk then immediately take him/her to the mental health professionals or hospitalize the sufferer.
• Sometimes it may happen that you are unable to get instant appointment with the psychiatrist then it is your duty to monitor his/her activity and if require then take the primary necessary steps to prevent your young child from taking any self-destruction process. For example: removal of lethal items or any poisonous material.