Overview: About Suicide and Suicide Prevention.This page will mainly introduce the status quo of suicide prevention, reason behind the rising teen suicide, and the statistic data of teen suicide. We hope that the about page could offer new perspectives and relevant information for further research about teen suicide.
Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative.Preventing Suicide: A Global Imperative is a report published by World Health Organization in 2014. Yet this is the first WHO report on suicide and It is now officially available in at least ten languages. This report aims at raise the public awareness of suicide. In this competitive society, people cannot avoid the stress from the bustle and hustle of modern life. Many people who fail to deal with the pressure properly choose to suicide and the number of suicide has increased since 20th century: Every 40 seconds a person dies by suicide somewhere in the world, over 800,000 people die by suicide every year, and it is the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds. Moreover, there are indications that for each adult who died of suicide there may have been more than 20 others attempting suicide. However, suicides are preventable. This report provides a global knowledge base on suicide and suicide attempts as well as actionable steps for countries based on their current resources and context to move forward in suicide prevention.
The report lists out some key concepts in preventing suicide: 1. For national responses to be effective, a comprehensive multisectoral suicide prevention strategy is needed. 2. Restricting access to the means for suicide works. An effective strategy for preventing suicides and suicide attempts is to restrict access to the most common means, including pesticides, firearms and certain medications. 3. Health-care services need to incorporate suicide prevention as a core component. Mental disorders and harmful use of alcohol contribute to many suicides around the world. Early identification and effective management are key to ensuring that people receive the care they need. 4. Communities play a critical role in suicide prevention. They can provide social support to vulnerable individuals and engage in follow-up care, fight stigma and support those bereaved by suicide. Further reading 1. Statistics: 2. About suicide prevention: |
18-25 Years Old: Probably the Hardest Period in Life.
As the report from WHO has pointed out, suicide is the second leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds. Why people of this age are more likely to commit suicide? Actually, this is a very special time period in people's lives. The 18-30-year-old period, especially the 18-25-year-old period, is known as "emerging adulthood". It is a stage of development from one's late teens through the twenties. It is neither adolescence nor full adulthood. Teenagers begin trying to get rid of the situation of being controlled but meanwhile, most of them haven’t completely prepared to take the responsibility of adults. Everything seems to remain unsure, so people have greater motivation to explore the possibilities of their lives.
In 1942, Phycologist Talcott Parson has developed the concept “the roleless role” to describe the situation of people during the emerging adulthood. First their family roles become nebulous gradually. They are in semiautonomy for on one side, they live relatively independent lives in the universities while on the other hand, they still rely on their parents. The society has many expectations and standards on those well-defined roles while it has few on those roleless ones which mean at this stage, people are freer to experience the world. Secondly, the uncertainty of career choices and less economic pressure offer more choices to the teenagers.
The rolelessness propels the teenagers to find identities and to fit in. Some people might do something that against their own wills to be part of the groups, and some might become outsiders and even be ostracize. Also, the sudden appearance of many choices in their lives could create chaos in their minds while they have limited resources to turn to. These could all cause depression and anxiety which lead to suicide.
Further Reading:
1. About "emerging adulthood":
In 1942, Phycologist Talcott Parson has developed the concept “the roleless role” to describe the situation of people during the emerging adulthood. First their family roles become nebulous gradually. They are in semiautonomy for on one side, they live relatively independent lives in the universities while on the other hand, they still rely on their parents. The society has many expectations and standards on those well-defined roles while it has few on those roleless ones which mean at this stage, people are freer to experience the world. Secondly, the uncertainty of career choices and less economic pressure offer more choices to the teenagers.
The rolelessness propels the teenagers to find identities and to fit in. Some people might do something that against their own wills to be part of the groups, and some might become outsiders and even be ostracize. Also, the sudden appearance of many choices in their lives could create chaos in their minds while they have limited resources to turn to. These could all cause depression and anxiety which lead to suicide.
Further Reading:
1. About "emerging adulthood":
- Amett, J. J. (1994). Are college students adults? Their conceptions of the transition to adulthood.
- Arnett, J. J. (1997). Young people's conceptions of the transition to adulthood.
- Hogan, D. P., & Astone, N. M. (1986). The transition to adulthood.
- E. H. (1968). Identity: Youth and crisis.
Other Resources.
1. About school bullying and suicide:
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