Teen suicide rates

Teen suicide rates have gone up significantly throughout the years, especially in young females. Why is that? Suicide is the 3rd leading cause in death in people age 10 to 24, but also including kids as young as 5 years old, which is extremely concerning. There are about 4,600 lives lost to it in the US per year. self-inflicted injury rates for young females aged 10 to 14 years increased 18.8 percent annually from 2009 to 2015. The rates of self-inflicted injuries for young females aged 10 to 14 has increased by 18.8 percent annually from 2009 to 2015.
Something that has most likely increased the rate of teen suicide is cellphone usage. This may be caused by social media showing a “perfect” image of everything, and cyber bullying. Since no one posts the bad things that they are going through, it depicts them as having a perfect life, when really they are only showing the best side. People use social media for hours every day, which can contribute to depression and anxiety.
School can also influence these negative thoughts on today’s teens. Studies show that the teen suicide rates go down significantly in the months that teens are off of school, and start to increase when they go back, specifically in August. This can be caused by the stress levels of students significantly increasing to where it is difficult to handle, and also bullying that goes on at school. There is a significant correlation in the stress rates when school is in and out.
Something that you can do to help is first watch for warning signs of suicidal thoughts or depression. Many people may seem happy, but there are certain signs that you should pay attention to such as loss of interest in activities they used to enjoy, mood swings, use of drugs or alcohol, acting anxious, agitated, or restless, sleeping too little or too much, showing rage, and isolating themselves. However, when asked about teens will often deny that they are feeling this way. Something that can help is to make sure to communicate with these people. Make sure they understand that they are wanted and you mean something to them, and help them meet there every day needs so that they know they can ask for help if they ever need to, and feel comfortable talking about their feelings. Something that can worsen these thoughts is constantly being monitored, Parents may see this as a way of protecting their child, but they may feel that they have no freedom and want to find another way out, or get too depressed.
Some things that parents can do to help is make sure that your child has all of their needs. Also, make sure that you give them some space and freedom so that they don’t feel trapped. Make sure that you maintain a relationship where your child can know that they can talk to you if needed, and doesn’t have to be scared of telling you something in fear of not being listened to, or being punished if they do something wrong. Some things that schools can do to help is not over work the students. Understand that the students have many other classes that they have work for, so don’t give them too much. Also, be sure to go easy on the students some times because they need a break every now and then. Feeling like you can’t ask your teachers questions may cause stress in students, so be sure to maintain a comfortable relationship so that they can trust you and talk to you if ever needed. Also, providing specific private counseling should be an option offered at all schools. Students may be too afraid to tell their parents about what they are feeling, so if they choose for their parents not to know, it should be the school’s responsibility to keep it private.
If you notice that you, or someone you know is experiencing signs of suicidal thoughts, please talk to someone or seek help. If you are not comfortable talking to anyone that you know, call the national suicide prevention hotline at 1-800-273-8255, or go through an online chat. Hopefully this will help you or someone you know.