Teenage Suicide
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Teenage suicide Is one of the major problems mental health professionals must address. Over the last generation the incidence of adolescent suicide has increased at a rapid rate. Among teenagers and young adults, those 15 to 24, suicide is one of the three leading causes of death. In addition, the self-destructive behaviors of young people, including so-called "suicide gestures," constitute a substantial health issue closely related to adolescent suicide. For that reason, counselors and other professionals continue to seek theoretical explanations of teenage suicide that will assist in identifying and treating those most at risk. Unfortunately, beyond pointing to the turbulence of our society and to the decline of the family, research has been slow in establishing the causes of adolescent suicide. Most experts agree that the rising rate of suicide among young people reflects, to a greater or lesser extent, a general failure of society to accommodate the difficulties of adolescence. According to the latest available statistics, the incidence of suicide among American young people is increasing markedly. Between 1960 and 1980 the suicide rate for individuals 15 to 24 increased from 5.2 to 12.3 per 100,000, an increase of 136 percent (Wodarski & Harris, 1987, p. 477). During the 1970's alone, the incidence of suicide in the same age group increased 40 percent, from 8.8 per 100,000 in 1970 to 12.3 per 100,000 in 1980. In the 1970's as well, the incidence of suicide amo
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try to ease his pain with drugs, and when that does not work, he kills himself. Second, substance abuse may be a direct cause of death; in many instances there is a fine line between an accidental overdose and suicide. Last, through the lowering of inhibitions and the reduction of motor control, substance abuse may facilitate a passive or impulsive suicide attempt (Holden, 1988, p. 839).
Paralleling the difficulties of interpretation presented by passive suicide attempts are the difficulties of Interpreting suicide gestures. It is widely supposed that a large percentage of suicide attempts are insincere. The purpose of such an insincere attempt is to call attention to the individuals distress. Suicide gestures are presumed to contribute substantially to the number of apparent suicide attempts by adolescents. The difference between suicide gestures and actual impulsive suicide attempts is, however, difficult to define. For one thing, the events leading up to the attempt may be similar, the breakup of a relationship, family discord, problems in school. For another, it is recognized that many successful suicides which were unsuccessful in previous attempts, were often identified at the time as "suicide gestures" (Martin & D
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 2304
Approximate Pages = 9 (250 words per page)
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