Youth and Suicide Rates

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Race and Ethnicity
Among youths in every 100,000, Whites suicide rate 35% and is the 2nd cause of death. In African Americans, the suicide rate is 14 % and is the 3rd cause of death. Among Hispanics, the suicide rate is 15% and is the 3rd cause of death. (http://www.suicidology.org/c/document_library/get_file?folderId=273&name=DLFE-836.pdf)
Taboos
Suicide is considered to be a taboo in all religions and societies. In many religions, people who commit suicide are not allowed a proper holy burial. Families of suicide go to a great length to hide the suicide because they are ashamed of it because it’s a sign of weakness. For many decades, suicide has been considered a taboo and no one is allowed to speak about it. When someone is suicidal people used to turn away from it because if they acknowledge it or talk about it, there is a big chance that it may happen. Denial was the best remedy seen among societies in the past. Nowadays, this taboo has been replaced with prevention programs. There are more awareness and communities are now gearing towards prevention plans that could help people who have suicide thoughts and their families.(www.rsds.org/4/stories/suicide.html)‎
Peer influence
Many studies have shown that there is an association between suicidal ideation and adolescents peer relationship disturbances, close friendship support, perceived peer acceptance and rejection, and deviant peer crowd affiliation appeared, either directly or indirectly.Studies have demonstrated that adolescents who lack a close, supportive dyadic friendship are at risk for difficulties in social and psychological adaptation (Bagwell, Newcombe, & Bukowski, 1994) and may have increased difficulties coping with severe life stressors (Cohen&Wills, 1985; Sandler, Wolchick, & Braver, 1985). In the study Peer Functioning, Family Dysfunction, and Psychological Symptoms in a Risk Factor Model for Adolescent Inpatients’ Suicidal Ideation Severity, the authors found that students who were affiliated with low status peer groups and high levels of peer victimization, displayed higher symptoms of depression which is closely related to suicidal ideation. This study essentially found that being able to securely develop peer relationships relates to “severe psychological distress, such as suicidal ideation”
Family History
Family history plays a major role in the likelihood of an individual attempting or completing suicide. Studies have shown that 2.25% of suicidal completions are directly correlated with family history and 6.8 % of family psychiatric illnesses totaling more than 4000 suicides (Croft, 2008). Thus, family history is just one of the many risk factors associated with suicide.

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