Teen Suicide

Teen suicide is the act of deliberately taking one's own life. Suicidal behavior is any deliberate action with potentially life-threatening consequences, such as taking a drug overdose or deliberately crashing a car.

Causes, Incidence, And Risk Factors of Teen Suicide:

A lot of times teen suicide can be related to a mood disorder or other psychiatric illness. Teen suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-to-24-year-olds, and the sixth leading cause of death for 5-to-14-year-olds. Emotional disturbances, including depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia are major contributors to teen suicide. 

Teen suicide often occurs as a response to a situation that the person views as overwhelming, such as social isolation, death of a loved one, emotional trauma, serious physical illness, growing old, unemployment or financial problems, guilt feelings, and alcohol or other drug dependence.

Teen suicide attempts that do not result in death far outnumber completed suicides. Many unsuccessful teen suicide attempts are carried out in a manner that makes rescue possible. They often represent a desperate cry for help.

The method of teen suicide varies from relatively nonviolent methods (such as poisoning or overdose) to violent methods (such as shooting oneself). Males are more likely to choose violent methods, which probably accounts for the fact that teen suicide attempts by males are more likely to be completed.

Teen suicide attempts should always be taken seriously and mental health care should be sought immediately. Dismissing them as "attention seeking" can have devastating consequences.

Learn more about teen suicide at the Brenner Children’s Hospital web site.

Teen Suicide