It doesn't seem right that a teenager, who has lived for such a short time, would choose to die, but those who can't get over their depression sometimes do. Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24 and the fourth leading cause of death for persons between the ages of 10 and 14 and it seems to be on the rise. Only accidental deaths and homicide follow it. Some experts believe that many "accidental" deaths are actually suicides. According to a 1991 Center for Disease Control and Prevention study, 27% of high school students thought about suicide, 16% had a plan and 8% made an attempt.
Teen suicide happens due to abuse, depression, and bullies; it should be prevented. There are as many as eight to 25 attempted suicides to one completed suicide. Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than females. Firearms are used in over half of youth suicides. Teen suicide leads to family issues, loss of a family member, and depression in the family.
— These are descriptions of how Cait Irwin, who suffered from depression as a teenager, described it. They show how awful and frightening depression during the teenage years can be. Depression and suicide are closely linked. “In fact, about two-thirds of all people who die by suicide have some type of depressive disorder” (Irwin 47). Teenage depression is a common but serious illness that can ultimately send some teenagers on a downward spiral towards suicide, but depression and suicide both can be averted if the symptoms are recognized and the proper treatment is provided.
Suicidal people are almost always full of conflicting emotions. Not all suicidal people really want to kill themselves (Schleifer 21). To some, suicide seems like the only option to deal with the pain that is attached with the emotional stress that accompanies suicide. Depression increases the magnitude of these feelings in the individuals. 75% of all people who commit suicide are depressed, according to a study done by the University of Texas (Teenage Suicide Causes).
Youth suicide has slowly been crawling its way up the cause of death list and is now the third leading cause of death in youth from ages ten to twenty-four year olds (Washington State Department of Health “Teen Suicide”). Youth suicide is a growing social problem that needs to be brought to attention before any more young lives can be taken. Suicidal behavior is thinking or acting towards your own death. Wanting to die, or attempting to take your life is suicidal behavior. Every year, approximately 4,600 young lives are taken because of suicide (Washington State Department of Health “Teen Suicide”).
Suicide and Children Suicide has become much more common in children than it used to be. For children under age 15, about 1-2 out of every 100,000 children will commit suicide. For those 15-19, about 11 out of 100,000 will commit suicide. These are statistics for children in the USA. Suicide is the fourth leading cause of death for children ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for teenagers 15-19.
Suicide attempts far outnumber actual suicides (Disease, Condition or General Health Topic). Every ninety minutes a teenager in the United States commits suicide and every nine minutes a teenager attempts suicide. About one hundred and twenty-five adolescents commit suicide in one week and one thousand will try during that week (Coleman 1). More girls will attempt suicide than boys, but more boys will commit suicide than girls (2). Every year 30,000 Americans will commit suicide (All About Suicide).
But so many teens’ shows signs of early depression and that could too lead up to suicide. Something has to be switched around in this system till we believe is effective. In the United States, suicide is a major cause of death to individuals 10-24 years old. “Nearly one million people die through an act of suicide each year, 50,000 of which occur in the United States.” (Viner). Trying to understand why a large number of young people face this horrifying act is difficult.
Detection and prevention are both key for adults and young people to stop suicide from happening. After taking a look at the numbers of suicide, most would be amazed. For example, by the time one reads this paragraph there will be someone attempting to commit suicide, but only 5% of people actually take their lives. Over 80% of these people had problems with their social life in which they lost a good portion of friends or had a “major” problem with their image or self esteem. About half the teens in this country have had thoughts of suicide cross their minds on a monthly basis.
Young Adults and Suicide Suicide is the third ranking cause of death in the fifteen to twenty four age ranges. Days after Richard Kirchhoff’s son committed suicide, he decided he wasn’t going to keep quiet. “Most people don’t like to say the ‘s-word’, which is part of the problem” (Richard Kirchhoff) is a public speaker against teen suicide; he tries to help families understand that they are not alone in anything. Kirchhoff urges parents to sign a form stating that they want to see the progress their student is having in school and how many times they have visited the campuses medical visits. Some studies show that another reason for suicide would be unemployment.