13 REASONS WHY NOT - an episode on teen suicide

Suicidal ideation (or suicidal thoughts) is thinking about suicide with deliberate consideration or planning. It is not a diagnosis in the DSM-5, but is rather a symptom of many mental disorders.

 

Youth Suicide: Facts, Signs and Risk Factors

• Suicide is the second leading cause of death in the United States—starting with children at age 10 all the way up to adults at age 33.
• More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease combined.

Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the US for all ages. (CDC)

Every day, approximately 123 Americans die by suicide. (CDC)

There is one death by suicide in the US every 12 minutes. (CDC)

Depression affects 20-25% of Americans ages 18+ in a given year. (CDC)

Suicide takes the lives of over 48,300 Americans every year. (CDC)

Only half of all Americans experiencing an episode of major depression receive treatment. (NAMI)

80% -90% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using therapy and/or medication. (TADS study)

An estimated quarter million people each year become suicide survivors (AAS).

There is one suicide for every estimated 25 suicide attempts. (CDC)

There is one suicide for every estimated 4 suicide attempts in the elderly. (CDC)

Children and adolescents thinking about suicide may make openly suicidal statements or comments such as, "I wish I was dead," or "I won't be a problem for you much longer." Other warning signs associated with suicide can include:

• changes in eating or sleeping habits
• frequent or pervasive sadness
• withdrawal from friends, family, and regular activities
• frequent complaints about physical symptoms often related to emotions, such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc.
• decline in the quality of schoolwork
• preoccupation with death and dying

Young people who are thinking about suicide may also stop planning for or talking about the future. They may begin to give away important possessions.

A teen’s risk for suicide varies with age, gender, and cultural and social influences. Risk factors may change over time. They are:

• One or more mental or substance abuse problems

• Impulsive behaviors

• Undesirable life events such as being bullied or recent losses, such as the death of a parent

• Family history of mental or substance abuse problems

• Family history of suicide

• Family violence, including physical, sexual, or verbal or emotional abuse

• Past suicide attempt

• Gun in the home

• Imprisonment

• Exposure to the suicidal behavior of others, such as from family or peers, in the news, or in fiction stories

Call your teen’s healthcare provider right away if your teen:

• Feels extreme depression, fear, anxiety, or anger toward him or herself or others

• Feels out of control

• Hears voices that others don’t hear

• Sees things that others don’t see

• Can’t sleep or eat for 3 days in a row

• Shows behavior that concerns friends, family, or teachers, and others express concern about this behavior and ask you to seek help

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