Teen Suicide Rates
Teen Suicide
An interesting article, "Teen suicide is soaring. Do spotty mental health and addiction treatment share blame?" references the acknowledgment of the teen suicide rate. Based on the topic of teen suicide in our class, I thought I would mention some points made in this article that further dive into this topic.
A study conducted by a pediatric hospital released last May discovered that patients ages 5 to 17 for suicidal thoughts and actions were doubled from 2008 to 2015. The highest risk group was those of white males between 14-21.
Experts and teens cite reasons such as "spotty mental health screening, poor access to mental health services, and resistance among young men and people of color to admit they have a problem, therefore, seek care." There are also documented issues that provoke this mindset such as "hard to solve societal issues" including family issues, differentiated political environment, and "poverty despite near-record-low unemployment rate. Other factors such as social media posts can promote continuous depressive thoughts among teens. On one hand, using social media to vent and get advice can feel therapeutic. Though on social media, many teens aren't interacting face to face, so there is less of a "connection." Teens might see a post saying someone wants to die or something relating to suicide and "pass it off as relatable dark humor", yet how do we distinguish those who expressed their intentions?
A Washington elementary teacher made a point saying, "Our students are dying because they are not equipped to handle situations created by adults-- situations that leave a child feeling abandoned and with a broken heart." As teens grow and mature, they are still in a vulnerable place. It is crucial for teens to feel cared for and promote a sense of validation of their place in the world. Luckily to this day, there are far more resources and awareness about mental health. The need for counseling is now emphasized for adolescents, as schools have more awareness and counselors.
Article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/19/teen-suicide-soaring-do-spotty-mental-health-and-addiction-treatment-share-blame/428148002/
An interesting article, "Teen suicide is soaring. Do spotty mental health and addiction treatment share blame?" references the acknowledgment of the teen suicide rate. Based on the topic of teen suicide in our class, I thought I would mention some points made in this article that further dive into this topic.
A study conducted by a pediatric hospital released last May discovered that patients ages 5 to 17 for suicidal thoughts and actions were doubled from 2008 to 2015. The highest risk group was those of white males between 14-21.
Experts and teens cite reasons such as "spotty mental health screening, poor access to mental health services, and resistance among young men and people of color to admit they have a problem, therefore, seek care." There are also documented issues that provoke this mindset such as "hard to solve societal issues" including family issues, differentiated political environment, and "poverty despite near-record-low unemployment rate. Other factors such as social media posts can promote continuous depressive thoughts among teens. On one hand, using social media to vent and get advice can feel therapeutic. Though on social media, many teens aren't interacting face to face, so there is less of a "connection." Teens might see a post saying someone wants to die or something relating to suicide and "pass it off as relatable dark humor", yet how do we distinguish those who expressed their intentions?
A Washington elementary teacher made a point saying, "Our students are dying because they are not equipped to handle situations created by adults-- situations that leave a child feeling abandoned and with a broken heart." As teens grow and mature, they are still in a vulnerable place. It is crucial for teens to feel cared for and promote a sense of validation of their place in the world. Luckily to this day, there are far more resources and awareness about mental health. The need for counseling is now emphasized for adolescents, as schools have more awareness and counselors.
Article: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/03/19/teen-suicide-soaring-do-spotty-mental-health-and-addiction-treatment-share-blame/428148002/
I really like your point of the edgy memes on Instagram and how people pass it off as dark humor because I notice that and it bugs me too. I also think its important to nurture and give their child a healthy environment to grow up in. So all we can do is hope that the parents know how to raise their child and to help them develop so they can stop killing themselves before the age of 21.
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