User:Randall504/School social work

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How Can We Prevent Adolescent Suicide?

===       '''Suicide amongst young people is at an all-time high. Suicide is one of the top three leading reasons young people die. What causes a young person to consider taking their own life? What can be done to prevent a suicide attempt? Suicide is estimated to be the tenth leading cause of death in the world and is as common as deaths from road traffic accidents (Murray & Lopez, 1996). Suicide is a very preventable cause of death in young people. Suicide is a topic that is uncomfortable for most people to talk about. Raising awareness about suicide rates and openly discussing suicide in school settings would be a step toward making young people that are contemplating suicide feel less alone.''' === '''    Adolescence is a difficult time in a person’s life. There is no one reason for suicide. There are many signs that go unnoticed when a young person is thinking about suicide. A drastic change in behavior is an obvious sign. Often when an adolescent is suffering from depression or mood changes, society will overlook them because we think that’s part of the moodiness that is associated with puberty. Being a teenager comes with many challenges. Peer pressure is the most difficult obstacle that a teenager will have to overcome. The most important thing to a teenager is the need to fit in. When a teenager isn’t accepted by his peers, this can result in the teenager feeling isolated and left out. This may also lead to them being bullied. Bullying plays a huge part in suicides among adolescents. Bullying takes place in many ways. A person can be cyber bullied. This is a form of bullying that takes place over the computer. With technology, this form of bullying is more widespread than traditional bullying. Traditional bullying can be verbal, social, or physical. Adolescents have a lot more pressure on them now then they did years ago. Young people are taught from a very early age that they must achieve to succeed. This causes them to put pressure on themselves to do well in school so that they can get into college. Extracurricular activities can also put extra pressure on adolescents. Some adolescents have their time spread so thin that there is no time to relax and enjoy life. Between school studies and sports, there is no time for them to just be a kid. Another factor that plays a part in adolescent suicide is a young person that is questioning their sexuality. Some young people are confused about whether they like girls or boys. The fear of them admitting that they are gay, bisexual or transgender can put pressure on them to hide it. Once they figure out their sexuality, the stress of coming out to their families and friends can push them to attempt suicide. Family problems may also play a part in an adolescent contemplating suicide. Adolescents that are having problems at home and come from families that are struggling financially, families that are going through a divorce, or any type of unstable family life may experience thoughts of suicide. Low self-esteem in an adolescent could be a factor that contributes to them wanting to attempt suicide. Adolescents that act out in school or get into trouble can also be a sign that the person is struggling and contemplating suicide. Self-isolation may be an indicator that an adolescent is experiencing suicidal thoughts. Young people that are suddenly less sociable and disconnected and want to spend most of their time alone, also may display signs of depression. '''

'''    The number of young people that have either had suicidal thoughts, attempted suicide, or succeeded in committing suicide is rising drastically. From 2007 – 2018, suicides in adolescents has more than doubled nationwide. Most people know an adolescent that has attempted or succeeded in committing suicide. The number of girls to attempt or succeed at suicide, has doubled in eight years. In prior years, suicide was committed predominantly by males. Over 25% of adolescent suicidal behavior occurs while the adolescent is under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs (Pirrucello, 2010).'''

'''    We must educate society about preventing adolescent suicide. This is key. There are many programs out there to prevent adolescent suicide. There are crisis lines available for an adolescent to call when they feel like they need the help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers a 24-hour hotline that a person can call and reach out to a real person. These lines are set up to be answered by a trained person that can talk to them and give them the guidance to seek additional help. Hopefully they can successfully get through to the adolescent and prevent them from killing themselves. Will they call? Not always will someone suffering from depression and determined to kill themselves reach out to someone. They may not feel comfortable talking to a stranger about their problems. It is very important for there to be programs in place at the school level. An adolescent spends more than 8 hours a day at school. This is a place that they should feel safe and comfortable to talk about their feelings. Teachers and staff must be trained to recognize the signs of depression in a student. Schools are in the best position to offer suicide awareness. This should be part of every school curriculum. It needs to be a topic that is easy to talk about so that no one feels alone. Teachers have a big responsibility in suicide prevention. A lot of pressure is on them to identify the signs. They must be on alert for signs that the adolescent is in need. A student that goes from good grades to failing is obviously going through some problems. They need to take the time to talk to their students so that they recognize the signs. The majority of adolescent suicides take place at home. This is usually a cry for help. Parents need to be aware of how serious an issue adolescent suicide is. Pediatricians should openly talk to parents during their children’s well check-ups so that they can educate themselves. This should start when the child is very young. Parents should also make sure that they maintain an open line of communication with their children. Adolescents that are raised in a household with parents that are involved in their life, usually grow up to be well rounded individuals. Another thing that a parent can do is to teach their young children good coping skills. An adolescent needs to understand that there is no problem that can’t be dealt with. Problems aren’t the end of the world and won’t last forever.'''

'''    Once it is determined that the adolescent is depressed, it is very important to get them into some type of therapy. Evaluating their mental state is the first step in determining whether they are a danger to themselves. Once they are evaluated by a professional, regular therapy may be the best option for them. For some extreme cases, residential treatment facilities might be necessary. This would give the adolescent around the clock treatment. Some young people respond well to group therapy. These are sessions that take place on a regular basis in a group setting with other people that are going through the same type of issues. This can help the adolescent to not feel so alone or isolated.'''

'''     Raising awareness is the biggest obstacle we need to overcome. We are headed in the right direction. We now have a designated month, day and week that brings the topic of suicide out in the open. September is suicide awareness month, September 10th is suicide awareness day and September 5-11, is suicide awareness week. By openly talking to adolescents about suicide, we can make sure that young people feel like what they are experiencing isn’t abnormal. Society needs to use the statistics and knowledge that we have, to prevent a young person from ever feeling alone enough that they would rather be dead. Adults need to be able to recognize and identify the signals that are sent out by adolescents in distress. Most of the time, before an adolescent makes the decision to take their life, they have shown signs of depression. We must recognize them before it’s too late. The aftermath that a family and friends is left with after a suicide is life changing. If the adolescent knew the amount of devastation and pain that was felt by their loved ones, they might not go through with it. The family is left wondering what they did wrong and what they could have done differently.'''

References

'''Bae, S., Ye, R., Chen, S., Rivers, P., Singh, K. (2005). Risky behaviors and factors associated with suicide attempt in adolescents. International Academy for Suicide Research, 9, 193-202.'''

'''Barrett, T. (1981). The self-destructive behavior of adolescents seeking solutions. Denver, CO: Cherry Creek Schools.'''

'''Capuzzi, D., Golden, L. (1988). Preventing adolescent suicide. Accelerated Development, Inc.'''

'''Department of Health and Human Services, National Center for Health Statistics (1984). Advance report of final mortality statistics, 1982. Monthly Vital Statistics Report, 33. 9. Supplement. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.'''

'''Freiberg, K. (1983). Human development: A life-span approach (2nd ed.). Monterey, CA: Wadsworth.'''

'''Murray, C. & Lopez, A. (1996). Global health statistics: a compendium of incidence, prevalence, and mortality estimates for over 200 conditions. Cambridge (USA): Harvard University Press.'''

'''Pirruccello, L. (2010). Preventing adolescent suicide. Journal of Psychosocial Nursing, 48, 35-40.'''