Студопедия

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Read the text and single out the main problems raised. When a teen commits suicide, everyone is affected






When a teen commits suicide, everyone is affected. Family members, friends, neighbors, and sometimes even those who didn’t know the person well may experience feelings of grief – and the sense that if only they had done something, the suicide could have been prevented. The reasons behind a teen’s suicide or attempted suicide are often complex.

To help and to learn the warning signs that a teen might need help, it’s important to understand the forces that often lead teens to suicide and to understand how to help.

Suicide statistics. Although suicide is relatively rare among children, the rate of suicide attempts and suicide deaths increases tremendously during adolescence. Suicide is the third-leading cause of death for 15- to 24-year-olds in the U.S., surpassed only by accidents and homicide.

The risk of suicide increases when kids and teens have access to firearms at home, and nearly 60% of all suicides in the United States are committed with a gun.

It’s important to understand how suicide rates are different for boys and girls. Girls think about and attempt suicide about twice as often as boys, and girls attempt suicide by overdosing on drugs or cutting themselves. Boys die by suicide about four times as much as girls, perhaps because they use more lethal methods, such as firearms, hanging, or jumping from heights.

What kids are at risk for suicide? A teen with an adequate support of friends, family, peer groups, or extracurricular activities may help with his or her everyday frustrations. But many teens don’t feel like they have that, and they feel isolated from family and friends. These teens are at increased risk for suicide.

Factors that increase the risk of suicide among teens include:

· presence of a psychological disorder, especially depression, bipolar disorder, and alcohol and substance use (In fact, approximately 95% of people who die by suicide have a psychological disorder at the time of death.)

· feelings of distress, irritability, or agitation

· feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness that often accompany depression (A teen, for example, who experiences repeated failures at school, who is overwhelmed by violence at home, or who is isolated from peers experiences such feelings.)

· a previous suicide attempt

· a family history of depression or suicide (Depressive illnesses may have a genetic component, so some teens may be predisposed to major depression.)

· physical abuse or sexual abuse

· lack of a support, poor relationships with parents or peers, and feelings of social isolation

· hostile school environment

Warning signs. Suicide among teens often occurs following a stressful life event, such as a failure at school, a breakup with a boyfriend or girlfriend, the death of a loved one, a divorce, or a major family conflict.

A teen who is thinking about suicide may:

· talk about suicide or death in general

· talk about " going away"

· talk about feeling hopeless or feeling guilty

· pull away from friends or family

· lose the desire to take part in favorite things or activities

· have trouble concentrating or thinking clearly

· experience changes in eating or sleeping habits

· self-destructive behavior (drinking alcohol, taking drugs, or driving too fast, for example)

What can parents do? Most kids who commit or attempt suicide have given some type of warning ahead of time. So it’s important to be aware of some of the warning signs that the child may be suicidal, so that to give the child the help that he or she needs.

If the child seems depressed and withdrawn, it’s a good idea to watch him or her carefully. Poor grades, for example, may signal that the teen is withdrawing at school.

It’s important that parents keep the lines of communication open and express their concern, support, and love. If the child does not say to his parents about how he or she is feeling, it’s a good idea to make him talk to someone else: another relative, a coach, a mental health professional who must know if there is a history of depression, substance abuse, family violence, or other stresses at home.



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