The death of a young person is everyone’s worst nightmare. Kids who feel connected and loved are less likely to think about suicide, but warning signs are everywhere.
There is a lot that can be done to prevent youth suicide. This article will look at what we know about the causes and how to help.
Depression and other mental health disorders
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and other mental health disorders are on the rise in youth. They can be caused by many factors, including loss (friendships, romantic relationships, family death), medical problems (e.g., diabetes, epilepsy), bullying, and academic difficulties.
Teens should talk to a doctor about their feelings, whether they are depressed or thinking about suicide. A doctor can create an integrated care plan that includes therapy and medicine.
It’s important that teens have access to affordable and culturally competent mental health treatment. Depression and suicidal thoughts are treatable, but the need isn’t being met. During the COVID-19 pandemic, utilization of mental health services declined. Many families struggle with insurance barriers and a shortage of providers. They also face challenges navigating complex networks of schools, primary care, community mental health centers, and public and private insurance systems.
Grief and loss
Teens grieve differently than adults. They might have atypical reactions to the loss of a friend or family member who died by suicide. They may be misunderstood by others, experience a variety of inappropriate assumptions and judgements, and feel disconnected from peers. This is called disenfranchised grief.
The transition from suicidal thoughts to a suicide attempt or completion usually occurs impulsively as a response to acute psychosocial stressors. Availability of means to commit suicide, a high lethality of the chosen method, and a national pattern in methods used are often associated with suicides among youth.
The risk factors that contribute to youth suicide are many and complex. Prevention efforts need to be multifaceted and include community-based interventions (e.g., education on mental health resilience, careful media coverage and reporting, restricting access to firearms), as well as targeted interventions for high-risk youth.
Suicide attempts
Suicide attempts are very common among youth. A number of warning signs may be present before a suicide attempt. These may include changes in sleep patterns, eating habits, or other behavioural issues. A desire to withdraw socially, a feeling of hopelessness or helplessness and major life stressors can lead to suicidal thoughts.
Youths who are at risk of suicide should not be left alone to try and cope with their own mental health challenges. They should have a plan in place, which includes checking-in points with significant adults and/or emergency services. They should be encouraged to talk about their feelings and never dismissed as a cry for attention. All threats of suicide should be taken seriously – if the person is not already receiving counselling, arrangements to do so should be made as soon as possible.
Social isolation
Recent studies have emphasized the importance of social isolation as a risk factor for suicide. When people are isolated, they feel misunderstood or unwanted, and they may think that the world would be better off without them. These intrusive thoughts can lead to feelings of intolerable mental anguish that increase the likelihood of attempting suicide or suicidal behaviors.
Social isolation also increases the risk of other health conditions, including heart disease and depression. It can also contribute to a lack of motivation and the inability to engage in healthy behaviors, like getting enough sleep or eating well.
Researchers used data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health to find that the risk for food insecurity, perceived stress and social isolation are strongly correlated with suicidal ideation. These findings underscore the need for health care and other public policy to address these risk factors in order to reduce youth suicide.
Self-harm
People who self-harm are often in severe emotional distress and they often have suicidal thoughts. They may hurt themselves in many ways including head-banging, cutting or burning themselves, excessive scratching skin to the point of bleeding and swallowing harmful substances such as bleach or detergent. Some people also have a condition called nonsuicidal self-injury disorder (NSSID) where they don’t have suicidal thoughts but still hurt themselves in other ways.
Important life events such as relationship break-ups, the death of a friend or peer, bullying and academic pressures are common risk factors for suicide in youth. Poor communication between family members is found in a lot of cases of youth suicide. Conflicts with parents and disciplinary problems at school have been linked to youth suicide.