Psychiatric illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia can be more common in teenagers. Hallucinations, delusions and other psychotic symptoms can also occur at this age.
Kids with strong connections to family, friends and others are less likely to kill themselves. They also tend to have good problem-solving skills and easy access to mental health care.
Depression
Depression is highly correlated with suicide, and adolescents can be especially vulnerable. They may not talk about their feelings, making them hard to identify. Moreover, they often act differently, which can lead them to be mistaken for troublemakers or lazy.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 57% of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in 2021, with girls faring worse than boys. They also reported more serious thoughts about suicide than ever before, including attempts to kill themselves.
The best way to help a teen struggling with depression is to get them treatment with a mental health professional. This may involve medications, talk therapy or a combination of the two. It is also important to talk openly with them, and encourage them to seek the support of others.
Anxiety
Young people who commit suicide often suffer from severe anxiety. This is often due to a combination of factors, including underlying mental illnesses, drug use and family stressors.
Some risk factors can be linked to specific important life events, such as loss of a loved one or a relationship break-up. Research has also shown that adolescents who have lost someone of significance in their lives are at a higher risk for suicidal thoughts. This is called “suicide contagion.”
Those who are thinking about suicide should be evaluated by a health care professional. A health care professional can offer support, provide safety plans and recommend treatment options. Treatments for anxiety include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). There are many prescription anti-anxiety medications that are available, including selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) such as sertraline (Zoloft) or benzodiazepine medication like alprazolam (Xanax). Getting help right away can prevent suicide.
Relationships
Many suicide attempts are a response to relationship conflicts—either overt (bullying) or more insidious, such as the abuse that some youth experience with their parents or significant others. These kinds of experiences can make kids feel trapped and hopeless, causing them to think death is the only way out of their predicament.
Researchers are also working to understand how a national environment of trauma and discrimination affects youth suicide risk. For example, Black youth are often traumatized by repeated videos of the deaths of their peers at the hands of police officers, and psychologists are struggling to find ways to assess their risk.
Things that can help protect against suicide include good problem-solving abilities, strong connections to family and friends and the community and access to quality medical and mental health care. Kids who report feeling loved and supported by those around them are less likely to consider hurting themselves, as well as being able to successfully manage conflict in their relationships.
Self-Esteem
Those who have low self-esteem are at increased risk for depression and suicidal behavior. This can be due to a hopeless outlook and pessimistic beliefs about the future. Studies have shown that programs to boost self-esteem in teens could help prevent these individuals from committing suicide.
The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) is a standardized measure of global self-worth consisting of 10 general statements. Previous research has demonstrated adequate internal consistency and construct validity for the RSE. It is also short enough to be used in adolescents and is relatively efficient as a unidimensional measure of self-esteem.