Teenage Suicide Essay Research Paper Teenage suicide — страница 2

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Brown (1996) suggested the best way to diagnose is to ?screen out the vulnerable groups of children and adolescents for the risk factors of suicide and then refer them for treatment.? Some of these ?risk factors? include verbal signs of suicide within the last three months, prior attempts at suicide, indications of severe mood problems, or excessive alcohol and/or drug use. Many physicians tend to think of depression as an illness of adulthood. In fact, Brown (1996) stated that ?it was only in the 1980?s that mood disorders in children were included in the category of diagnosed psychiatric illnesses.? In actuality, 7-14% of children will experience an episode of major depression before the age of 15. In a sampling of 100,000 adolescents, two to three thousand will have mood

disorders out of which 8-10 will commit suicide (Brown, 1996). Blackman (1995) remarked that the suicide rate for adolescents has increased more than 200% over the last decade. Brown (1996) added that an estimated 2000 teenagers a year commit suicide each year in the United States, making it the leading cause of death after accidents and homicide. Blackman (1995) stated that it is not uncommon for young people to be preoccupied with issues of mortality and to contemplate the effect their death would have on close family and friends. Once it has been determined that the adolescent has the disease of depression, what can be done about it? Blackman (1995) has suggested two main avenues to treatment: ?psychotherapy and medication.? The majority of the cases of adolescent depression

are mild and can be dealt with through several psychotherapy sessions with intense listening, advice and encouragement. For the more severe cases of depression, especially those with constant symptoms, medication me be necessary and without pharmaceutical treatment, depressive conditions could escalate and become fatal. Brown 91996) added that regardless of the type of treatment chosen, ?it is important for children suffering from mood disorders to receive prompt treatment because early onset places children at a greater risk for multiple episodes of depression and suicide throughout their life span.? Until recently, the health professionals have largely ignored adolescent depression, but now several means of diagnosis and treatment exist. ? Although most teenagers can

successfully climb the mountain of emotional and psychological obstacles that lie in their paths, there are some who find themselves overwhelmed and full of stress? (Brown, 1996). With the help of teachers, school counselors, mental health professionals, parents, and other caring adults, the severity of a teen?s depression can not only be accurately evaluated, but plans can be made toto improve his or her well-being and ability to fully engage life (Blackman, 1995) The second most common cause of teenage suicide is alcohol and drug use. Although it is illegal for anyone under the age of 21 to purchase, posses, and consume alcohol, many teenagers do drink. As a result, in addition to breaking the law, these teens are particularly vulnerable to the various problems that alcohol can

cause. Teens who are shy in social situations often use alcohol to loosen up and frequently end up making fools of themselves and doing things that they later regret. Still other teens seek friendship and companionship by using alcohol so they can join the ?in crowd?. Other teens are simply emulating their parents or trying to ?escape? from their home environments. What many teens fail to realize are all of the negative effects drinking can have on their minds and bodies. According to the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information, ?Long-term effects of heavy alcohol use include loss of appetite, vitamin deficiencies, stomach ailments, sexual impotence, liver damage, heart and central nervous system damage, and memory loss.? Some of the common signs for teens with

alcohol related problems include, an inability to control their drinking-it seems that regardless of what limits are decided on beforehand, they frequently wind up drinking too much. Two, using alcohol to escape their problems. Three, changing from their usual reserved character into the ?life of the party. Four, a change in personality- turning from Dr. Jeckyl into Mr. Hyde. Five, achieving a high tolerance level-able to drink everyone under the table. Other troubling signs are blackouts, problems at work or school related to drinking and parental concerns over their drinking habits. Alcohol is a central nervous system depressant. It affects virtually every organ in the body, and chronic use can lead to numerous preventable diseases including alcoholism. According to the 1994