Adolescent Suicide- A Rising Trend
Rabindran 1, Gedam DS 2
1Dr. Rabindran, Consultant, Neonatologist, Billroth Hospital, Chennai, 2Dr D Sharad Gedam, Professor of Pediatrics, L N Medical College,
Bhopal, MP, India
Address for
Correspondence: Dr Rabindran, E mail:
rabindranindia@yahoo.co.in
Abstract
Suicide has become one of the leading cause of death in adolecesnt age
group. In this abstract we are trying to find out causes of increasing
trends and preventive stratigies.
Keywords:
Adolescent suicide, firearms, Suicide prevention
Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among adolescents after
accidents & homicide. According to WHO, a suicide occurs every
40 seconds & an attempt is made every 3 seconds. The ratio of
attempted suicides to completed suicides among adolescents is estimated
to be 50:1 to 100:1, & the incidence of unsuccessful suicide
attempts is higher among females than among males [1]. However
adolescent males have 6 times higher rate of completed suicide than
females because they use more lethal methods such as firearms, hanging,
or jumping from heights. According to CDC, One in five teenagers in the
U.S. seriously considers suicide annually. In India, adolescent suicide
amount to one-third of all suicides. Overall adolescent suicide has
increased 300-400% over the past 10 years [2].
The major risk factor for adolescent suicide is the presence of mental
illness [3]. Adolescents have strong feelings of stress, confusion,
self-doubt & financial uncertainty. Other risk factors are
family history of suicidal behaviour or mood disorder, history of
physical or sexual abuse, exposure to violence, easy access to
firearms, conflict with close friends or family members, use of alcohol
or drugs, social isolation, academic pressure, loss of a valued
relationship, struggling with sexual orientation, impaired social
skills & impaired peer relationships & bullying.
Moreover adolescents have a stigma associated with asking for help. The
barriers to accessing services along with cultural & religious
beliefs are other factors associated with the rising trend among
adolescent suicides.
There is an increase in firearm use among adolescents recently.
Firearms were the instrument of death in 88 % of teen homicides
& 41 % of teen suicides in 2014 [4]. While non-firearm injuries
result in death in only one out of every 760 cases, almost one in four
youth firearm injuries is fatal. Alcohol use has been associated with
50% of suicides [5]. Gay & bisexual adolescents exhibit 3 times
higher suicide than others. Monozygotic twins show significantly higher
concordance for suicide than dizygotic twins [6]. Increasing homosexual
behaviour, alcohol abuse& increasing twin births secondary to
rise in assisted reproductive techniques nowadays could be the reason
behind the rise in adolescent suicides. Overdose using
over-the-counter; prescription & non-prescription medicine is
also a very common method for suicide. Media coverage of a teenage
suicide may lead to cluster suicides within a 1-to 2-week period
afterward [7]. Copy-cat suicides & publicized suicides also
occur frequently. Some experts believe that one-child norm may be the
cause behind the rise because those adolescents are not used to dealing
with difficult interpersonal problems as they grew up with no siblings.
About 80% of all suicide attempts & completions are preceded by
warning signs [2] like change in eating & sleeping habits;
withdrawal from friends, family & regular activities; violent
actions, rebellious behavior, running away; drug & alcohol use,
neglect of personal appearance, marked personality change, persistent
boredom, difficulty concentrating, frequent complaints about physical
symptoms, loss of interest in pleasurable activities, not tolerating
praise or rewards, talking about dying, threats of suicide- either
direct or indirect, overwhelming sense of guilt, shame or rejection,
putting affairs in order, sudden cheerfulness after a period of
depression, irritability, hallucinations or bizarre thoughts. It is
important to identify these warning signs promptly and prevent their
attempts.
Suicide prevention efforts should focus on school education programs,
crisis centre hotlines, screening programs that seek to identify
at-risk adolescents, media guidelines & efforts to limit
firearm access. It is important for parents and family members of
adolescents with suicidal tendencies to seek professional help
immediately share their feelings, encourage the teen not to isolate
himself or herself from family and friends& recommend relaxing
exercises. They should address depression or anxiety seriously, pay
attention &never shrug off threats of suicide as teen melodrama
& most important listen to their words with compassion
& concern. Firearms, alcohol & medications should be
stored properly. There are many rehabilitation programs like Teen
Screen Program, Stop a Suicide Today, National Suicide Prevention
Lifeline which can guide these adolescents for a better future. Finally
completed suicide is only the tip of the iceberg of the psychosocial
crisis faced by adolescents& hence this vulnerable period must
be handled with utmost care to prevent the rising trend of adolescent
suicides.
Funding:
Nil, Conflict of
interest: None initiated.
Permission from IRB:
Yes
References
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How to cite this article?
Rabindran, Gedam DS. Adolescent Suicide- A Rising Trend.
Int J Med Res Rev 2016;4(2):142-143. doi: 10.17511/ijmrr.2016.i02.024.