1/23/2014 Youth suicide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Youth suicideFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Youth suicide is when a young person, generally categorized as someone below age 24, deliberately ends theirown life. Rates of attempted and completed youth suicide in Western societies and other countries are high. Forexample, in Australia suicide is second only to motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death for people

aged 15–24,[1] and according to the National Institute for Mental Health, suicide is the third leading cause of death

among teens in the United States.[2] In India, one-third of suicides are young people 15–29. In 2002, 154,000

suicides were recorded in India.[3]

Contents

1 Suicide contagion

1.1 Teens at risk1.2 Bereavement among young people

2 Intervention

2.1 Issues for communities

3 References4 External links

Suicide contagion

According to research carried in by the Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian in 2007,39% of all youth suicides are completed by young people who have lost someone of influence or significance tothem to suicide. The Commission terms this suicide contagion and makes several recommendations as to theimportance of safe guarding young people and communities from suicide contagion.

In 2011 the Australian Federal Parliament Standing Committee for Health and Ageing Inquiry into Youth Suicidemet in a round table forum with young representatives from three organisations at the forefront of preventing youth

suicide, including Sunnykids,[4] Inspire, and Boys Town. The Standing Committee has since released a discussion

paper highlighting the findings of their inquiry[5] and will seek to make final recommendations on the most effectivemeans for reducing youth suicide at the conclusion of their inquiry.

Teens at risk

One of the problems is getting psychiatric counseling when it's needed.[6] "In teenagers, depression is considered a

major - if not the leading - cause of teen suicide.".[7] Gay teens or those unsure of their sexual identity are morelikely to commit suicide, particularly if they have suffered bullying or harassment. In Canada, almost 300 youngpeople take their lives each year. Some Aboriginal teens and gay or lesbian teens are at high risk, depending on

their community and their own self esteem.[8] Several campaigns have been started to give them hope and helpthem to feel less isolated.

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It Gets Better [9]

Born This Way[10]Lack of impulse control has been found to differentiate adolescent suicide attempters from

a control group of adolescents with an acute illness (Slap, Vorters, Chaudhuri, & Centor, 1988). However,impulsivity does not seem to characterize all suicide attempters, since group comparisons have found no

differences between suicidalpatients and psychiatric controls on a measure of cognitive impulsivity

(Patsiokas, Clum, & Luscomb, 1979). Instead, impulsivity may be important in identifying high risk

subgroups * I Get Bullied Too [11]

Bereavement among young people

The primary goals of suicide postvention include assisting the survivors of suicide with the grief process, andidentifying and referring those survivors who may be at risk for negative outcomes such as depressive and anxietydisorders, and suicidal behaviour. With 42% of completed youth suicides being suicide bereavement (or contagion)related - further research and investment must be made into supporting this group of people, as they may representthe single largest potential reduction in youth suicide rates, if they receive effective support, feel connected,supported and understood. Harassment is a leading cause of teen suicide, along with abuse.

Intervention

One organization in Australia has found that young people who feel connected, supported and understood are lesslikely to commit suicide. Reports on the attitudes of young people identified as at risk of suicide have been

released.[12] Such reports support the notion that connectedness, a sense of being supported and respected areprotective factors for young people at risk of suicide. According to Pueblo Suicide Prevention Center (PSPC) forsome reason kids today are experiencing more pressure.

Knowing behaviors that can be 'early warning signs' can help, and assisting the young person to get appropriatehelp or hospitalization. For information on intervention and identification of indicators of suicidal thinking/intent, aswell information about non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) see www.abct.org (http://www.abct.org)

Issues for communities

Intervention issues for communities to address include: suicide contagion, developmental understanding of suicide,development and suicide risk, and the influence of culture. Key matters in postvention responses for young peopleinclude: community context, life stage relevance of responses, identification and referral (Postvention Co-ordination), developing a suite of services, and creating ongoing options.

References

1. ^ Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian

2. ^ National Institute [for] Mental Health

3. ^ Iype, George. South India: World's suicide capital (http://www.rediff.com/news/2004/apr/15spec.htm). Rediff,2004-04-15. Retrieved 2011-10-13.

4. ^ SunnyKids 2010

5. ^ Federal Parliament Health and Ageing Standing Committee Inquiry into Youth Suicide(http://www.aph.gov.au/house/committee/haa/youthsuicide/index.htm%20)

6. ^ [1] (http://m.theglobeandmail.com/life/health/new-health/conditions/addiction/mental-health/a-four-part-action-