Suicide Statistics and Facts

INTRODUCTION

Suicide is intentional self-inflicted acts that end in death. Each year, an average of 30,000 suicide deaths occur in the United States and it is estimated that 6,000 of those suicides are committed by teenagers (CDC, 2002). Psychologists have identified the teenage years as one of the most difficult phases of human life. During this phase, new social roles are being learned, new relationships are being developed, bodily changes are occurring and decisions about the future are being made. Although this phase is often seen as a time to enjoy friendship and do other activities that adults would not usually do, it is a phase that causes adolescents a large amount of stress, confusion, self-doubt, pressure to succeed, financial uncertainty, hormone inconsistencies and other growing up-related fears. A lapse in one of these categories can result in suicidal tendencies, and often a teenager's suicide attempt may be a cry for help. Suicide amongteenagers has become an epidemic that is only spreading throughout America and should be dealt with immediately. Most suicides can be prevented because the suicidal state-of-mind is usually temporary. This paper examines the causes of teenage suicide, the signs & risks of a person who is suicide prone, and the prevention measures that can be enforced to increase awareness.

STATISTICS AND FACTS

Suicide has become the eighth leading cause of death in the general population (regardless of age, sex or race), the third leading cause of death for individuals between the ages of fifteen and twenty-four, and the fourth leading cause of death for those between ten and fourteen. While the general incidence of suicide has decreased over the past 25 years, the rate for those in the adolescent group has tripled (CDC, 2002). This translates to approximately one teenage suicide occurring every two hours in America. Today, more teenagers are dying from suicide than from cancer, heart...