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 among young males went from 13.5 to 20.2 per 100,000 ("Youth," 1987, p. 3333; Holden, 1988, pp. 839-841).
Of the approximately 500,000 young people who attempt suicide annually, 5,000 are "successful." Thus, approximately one suicide attempt in a hundred succeeds. Actually, the identification of suicide attempts is complicated, and some sources indicate that the number of young suicide attempters may be as high as 1 million each year (Neiger & Hopkins, 1988, p...