# data[].attributes.body
"Preventing Teen Suicide." Gale In Context Online Collection, Gale, 2020. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/AYLDMN304075133/SUIC?u=dubl78112&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=a3c071a7. Accessed 16 Feb. 2023.

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"Depression on the rise among teens." Camping Magazine, vol. 90, no. 3, May-June 2017, p. 6. Gale In Context: High School, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A503309739/SUIC?u=dubl78112&sid=bookmark-SUIC&xid=edc9c553. Accessed 24 Jan. 2023.

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Teen depression can affect teens regardless of gender, social background, income level, race, school, or achievements (Teen Help, 2017), and major depression is a common mental disorder among teens in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (2017). In fact, 20 percent of teens will experience depression before they reach adulthood, raising the risk of attempting suicide a whopping 12 times (I Need a Lighthouse, 2015).

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death for adolescents aged 15 to 19 years, a sad statistic that seems unlikely to change in the face of rising rates of depression among individuals in that age range, according to a recent Youth Today article. In 2014, the annual prevalence of depression among adolescents was 11.3 percent, compared to just 8.7 percent in 2005 (Bagley, 2016).

I Need a Lighthouse, a depression and suicide education awareness program, reports that youth depression can look different than depression in adults, citing the following symptoms as more common in teens suffering from depression (2015):

* Demonstrate more anger or irritability than sadness, being outwardly grumpy, hostile, easily frustrated, or prone to angry outbursts

* Experience physical ailments such as unexplained aches and pains like headaches or stomachaches

* Demonstrate extreme sensitivity to criticism, rejection, and failure, brought on by feelings of worthlessness

* Withdraw from some individuals but not others, which may mean pulling away from parents or old friends and hanging out with a different crowd, for example

Also disturbing is the fact that teens suffering from depression don't appear to be seeking help from their primary care providers to relieve that depression, with the rate stagnating at about 10 percent for the last decade (Bagley, 2016).

According to Anxiety.org, practicing certain behaviors helps to reduce the risk of teen depression (Cairns, 2016):

* Having a healthy and balanced diet

* Getting enough sleep (between eight and ten hours per night)

* Being physically active

* Maintaining relationships with peers who model positive behaviors such as volunteering

* Sharing with their parents about their daily activities and friendships

WebMD suggest that teens who experience symptoms of depression that last for more than a week or two should see their health care provider for a proper diagnosis and subsequent treatment (2017).

Bagley, N. (2016, November). Depression is a deadly growing threat to our youth: Time to rally. Youth Today. Retrieved from http://youthtoday.org/2016/ll/depression-is-a-deadly-growing-threat-to-our-youth-time-to-rally

Cairns, K. (2016, February 10). How lifestyle affects teen depression. Anxiety.org. Retrieved from anxiety.org/understanding-teen-depression-how-to-prevent-it

I Need a Lighthouse. (2015). Teen depression. Retrieved from ineedalighthouse.org/depression-suicide/teen-depression

National Institute of Mental Health. (2017). Major depression among adolescents. Retrieved from nimh.nih.gov/health/statistics/prevalence/major-depression-among-adolescents.shtml

Teen Help. (2017). Teen depression statistics & facts. Retrieved from teenhelp.com/teen-depression/teen-depression-statistics

WebMD. (2017). Understanding depression--Prevention. Retrieved from webmd.com/depression/guide/understanding-depression-prevention

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Teen depression can affect teens regardless of gender, social background, income level, race, school, or achievements (Teen Help, 2017), and major depression is a common mental disorder among teens in the United States, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (2017).

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This article focuses on the rates and statistics of teen suicide, depression, and other mental health related struggles that teens experience

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This is a reliable source with confirmed facts and statistics. It contains the needed information for research on topics relating to teen mental health and suicide.

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Fagan, Kate. What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen. First edition. New York, Little, Brown and Company, 2017.

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What Made Maddy Run, centers on Madison Holleran, a promising young athlete at the University of Pennsylvania who committed suicide in 2014. Fagan brings her experiences as a college athlete on a Division I team and her expertise as a sports journalist to explore why a young woman who excelled academically and athletically would commit suicide. Throughout the book, Fagan uncovers evidence of Madison’s depression and the ways she sought help. She uses Madison’s story to explore mental health, social media, perfectionism, and the challenges young people face.

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This book is a well-written piece about mental health in young adults and teens. It studies the pressures of mental illnesses and social media that young people face.

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Main content

Teenage suicide has been a growing concern in the United States since the 1980s, when a disturbing increase in the youth suicide rate was brought to the attention of the public. Suicide among individuals age fifteen to nineteen years increased 14 percent between 1980 and 1996, according to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide-1999. A 2012 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report found that one in twelve high school students had attempted suicide, with one in six having considered it. In the United States, suicide is the third-leading cause of death among youth between the ages of ten and twenty-four. Though the numbers fluctuate over the course of time, 8.8 percent of high school students in 2001 reported having attempted suicide, while in 2011, 7.8 percent reported having made the attempt. Awareness and prevention efforts have grown more aggressive, and many new treatments and awareness campaigns have been developed to combat suicide, particularly among young people. Even with these improvements, however, the suicide rate among adolescents has continued to rise. In a report published in 2019, the CDC found that the suicide rate for teenagers between fourteen and nineteen increased 76 percent, from 6.7 percent in 2007 to 11.8 percent in 2017.

In recent decades, a growing network of suicide prevention groups has focused attention on the issue. Organizations all over the world have become involved in raising awareness and encouraging community activism. Many programs have been created to assist teens who are contemplating suicide. Mood disorders, including depression, have been found to affect the majority of suicidal youths; many also deal with substance abuse. Schools began incorporating programs into their curriculums to educate teens about problem solving and stress relief to discourage thoughts of suicide. Prevention methods target the issues affecting individuals. Outside the classroom, suicide prevention gained global recognition with the help of technology and social networking sites. Popular websites such as YouTube and Google became actively involved in spreading the message of suicide prevention, and many websites, including the National Alliance on Mental Illness and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, began offering help to troubled youths. Support also came from mental health professionals, who developed medical and therapeutic treatments centered specifically on treating suicidal young people.

Critical Thinking Questions

Why do you think so many teens turn to suicide in moments of crisis?

In your opinion, is enough being done to prevent teen suicide? Explain your answer.

What do you think could be done to help prevent teens from committing suicide?

Medical and Therapeutic Treatments

Doctors and mental health professionals worked together to come up with effective treatment programs for teens who displayed signs of suicidal thoughts. Talk therapy was commonly used to help teens cope with their problems, and therapists frequently encouraged family members to attend sessions. Antidepressant medications were often recommended to help individuals feel less depressed and motivate them to work through their troubles; many times, drug-based treatments were prescribed in combination with psychiatric therapy to stabilize teens' mental functions so they were better able to cope with stressors.

Connections: Teen Suicide and 13 Reasons Why

The popular Netflix series 13 Reasons Why was an immediate source of controversy in regard to teen suicide when it debuted in 2017. The show revolves around a fictional teenage girl who commits suicide after recording a series of thirteen audiotapes meant for the people she blamed for her death. Many critics immediately took issue with 13 Reasons Why, saying that the show could be triggering for impulsive and emotional teens and might encourage young viewers to try harming themselves. On the other hand, fans of the show argued that 13 Reasons Why raised awareness about teen suicide and related issues like bullying, school violence, sexual assault, and underage drinking.

Awareness Campaigns and Support Groups

Government Initiatives

Government efforts to prevent teen suicide in the United States intensified in the early 2000s. In response to the Surgeon General's call to action, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a National Strategy for Suicide Prevention in 2001, which outlined methods for lowering suicide risk in all age ranges, highlighting the prevalence of suicide among youth. According to this document, more teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from AIDS, birth defects, cancer, chronic lung disease, heart disease, pneumonia and influenza, and stroke combined. The strategy called for broader awareness and support for the issue and outlined several objectives meant to help reduce the risk of suicide. Other government organizations committed their efforts toward research in an attempt to better understand what motivated teens to commit suicide. The CDC initiated many studies focused on youth risk behavior, which have helped many prevention groups design programs aimed at a variety of risk factors among teenagers.

School Support

Because teenagers spend a large part of their days in school, schools began implementing programs to assist in suicide prevention efforts. School districts paired with certified mental health services to encourage community involvement in prevention programs. The main goal was to build a trusting relationship between teachers and students so teens would feel comfortable sharing any problems they had with staff members. Programs also focused on educating teachers about the warning signs associated with suicidal youths. Educators were told to note and address any signs of depression or mental instability. Characteristics to watch out for include family problems, deaths in the family, physical abuse, and substance abuse. If a student exhibits any of these characteristics, or made threats, a suicidal risk assessment may help determine the severity of the student's behavior. Parents are also crucial components of this process, as they can often provide more information about a student's mental history, family dynamics, and past behavior.

Online Activism

Depression and anxiety are significant factors in teenage suicide. Paired with various environmental factors such as bullying or family problems, teenage suicidal thoughts often intensify. Bullying has been cited in many cases of teens who have attempted or contemplated suicide, though it is far from the greatest risk factor. The increased popularity of social media has made bullying more pervasive than it once was, as students are now able to take their harassment online. In the late 2000s into the early 2010s, several news outlets reported stories of teenagers and young adults committing suicide as a result of online bullying. While neither bullying nor suicide were found to be on the rise, the proliferation of news stories further pushed the issue into the national consciousness.

Though the Internet had become a convenient means to harass others, it is also a hub of information aimed at helping suicidal teens. The National Suicide Prevention Hotline is able to more widely provide assistance with the help of its website. A wealth of resources is available to teens and parents and may aid in assessing risk behavior.

Apart from school and parent activism, sponsored online campaigns also raise awareness of the issue. The It Gets Better Foundation enlists the support of hundreds of celebrities and leaders including comedian Stephen Colbert and President Barack Obama to get the message out to LGBTQ teens that they have alternatives to suicide. Millions of contributors recorded videos encouraging young people to seek help and persevere when faced with suicidal thoughts. These videos are posted on YouTube, where anyone may view them. Another example of celebrity activism includes singer Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation. Formed in response to a number of teen suicides allegedly brought on by bullying, the organization promotes a kinder and more accepting social environment among teens.

Despite all of these efforts, teen suicide remained a persistent problem in the United States in the 2010s. By 2020, suicide was the second-leading cause of death of people between the ages of ten and twenty-four. About 5,000 young people died by suicide every year in this period. Medical experts continued to recommend the various ways that adults could help prevent teen suicide. These included limiting teens' access to the means of suicide, helping them develop conflict-resolution skills, and providing them opportunities for talk therapy.

Peer Prevention Programs

Some of the most innovative approaches to preventing teen suicide came from teenagers themselves. Proactive teenagers across the country developed tools and resources aimed at helping their peers to cope with anxiety and depression and avoid attempting to take their own lives in moments of crisis. Two such tools and resources include the notOK app and YouthLine. Developed by teenagers Hannah and Charlie Lucas, the notOK app is a smartphone application that provides struggling teens with a large red button they can press to easily notify friends and family that they are in need of help. YouthLine is a confidential peer-to-peer phone and text crisis helpline based out of Portland, Oregon. Through YouthLine, teens struggling with a wide array of personal issues can seek support from people their own age instead of resorting to self-harm.

Source Citation

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Teenage suicide has been a growing concern in the United States since the 1980s, when a disturbing increase in the youth suicide rate was brought to the attention of the public. Suicide among individuals age fifteen to nineteen years increased 14 percent between 1980 and 1996, according to the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Prevent Suicide-1999.

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When a teenager commits the awful act of suicide, the first question people want to know is why they took their own life in the first place. Committing suicide during the teenage years becomes a devastating loss since a teen has their whole life to live. Discerning what happened to an emotional and hormonal can be impossible especially if they did not leave a suicide note, which most do not.

Teen suicide is a cry for help while they are drowning in their pain and trauma with no perceivable way out. Typically, those who commit suicide will put a plan into motion to cope with their emotions rather than get the personalized help they need in a therapeutic setting. As devastating as this topic of teen suicide is, knowing the top reasons that teenagers want to take away their life for good is important to ponder on so that parents can look for the signs.

Discouragement

Teens who have to deal with negative circumstances in their life such as their parents splitting up, dealing with bullying, or the death of a loved one may feel like they have no option other than wanting to die. When big events like these happen in their life, parents need to keep a close eye on their behaviors, emotions, and verbiage.

Rejection

The teenage years can be full of rejection from friends and love interests that can make them feel like their whole world is shattered. Seeking the approval of others during the teenage years is a part of growing up and can be very thing that can set a teen over the edge when they get shunned or made fun of. Teens who are overly sad and start spending their time isolating alone after being part of a crowd should be monitored closely

Defeat

Teens who think they will never amount anything or who think they have become a burden to their parents or loved ones may choose to commit suicide to escape the feelings regarding their personal setbacks. Parents actually play the biggest role in the security of a teen and could change the course of their teen's emotional progress by showing them they are loved and wanted. Edification is the key to making a teen believe they have a reason to live.

The normal feelings that teens endure can be unbearable and make them believe that these emotions will never end. Parents should be engaged with their teenagers so they know that they are not alone and that they can get through their difficult times. Even if they rebuke their parent's advances to be present in their lives, parents should still attempt to support their teen at all costs. Suicide is a very serious matter and when fulfilled can bring unfathomable pain and loss.

If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide, please call the National Suicide Prevention hotline at: 1-800-273-8255 1-800-273-TALK (8255)Chat online
Text 741-741 from anywhere in the USA, anytime, about any type of crisis
National Suicide Prevention Hotline (24 hour a day)

Crisis Text Line (24 hours a day)

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When a teenager commits the awful act of suicide, the first question people want to know is why they took their own life in the first place. Committing suicide during the teenage years becomes a devastating loss since a teen has their whole life to live.

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I would not choose to use this source. This source is informal and uses no evidence or statistics to back up their claims.

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This article centers on the increasing rates in teen suicide.

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This source is reliable in that it uses factual evidence and statistics to support their claims and other information to further confirm their ideas.

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The data collected from all sources supports the claim that teen depression is on the rise in the United States, causing higher suicide rates.

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Therefore, based on these articles and supported studies, the rise in suicide among American teens can be related back to depression and mental health.

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CHC Podcasts presents Voices of Compassion | Children's Health Council

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It can be hard to imagine talking with your teen about suicide. But given that it is the second leading cause of death among young people, it makes sense to be prepared to have that conversation. How can we as parents create a safe, nonjudgmental space where our teens feel comfortable talking about hard things? How do we know when to worry and how to get help? Join us for today's podcast episode, where we talk with two CHC experts, Katie Reeves, Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and Jason Tinero, Doctoral Psychology Intern, to hear what all parents should know about teen suicide.

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Teen Suicide: What Parents Need to Know - CHC Podcasts presents Voices of Compassion | Children's Health Council

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It can be hard to imagine talking with your teen about suicide. But given that it is the second leading cause of death among young people, it makes sense to be prepared to have that conversation. How can we as parents create a safe, nonjudgmental space where our teens feel comfortable talking about hard things?

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"Teen suicide: What Parents Need to Know." Voices of Compassion from CHC, 22 September 2021
https://podcasts.chconline.org/episodes/teen-suicide-what-parents-need-to-know/

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This podcast consists of the host who speaks with a psychiatric mental health nurse to inform listeners on teen suicide.

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This interview is resourceful in which a mental health psychiatrist explains statistics and factual evidence regarding teen suicide, showing its reliability.

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5 Common Mental Health Disorders in Teens | Turnbridge

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Discover the five most common mental health disorders in teenagers and young adults today, as well as the symptoms and potential risks of each.

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I would not use this source because it only focuses on the different mental health disorders teen struggle with, and identifying what they are, without explaining further.