Teen Suicide
Gregory K. Moffatt, Ph.D.
On Monday, March 15, a graduate student at Kennesaw State
University was found dead in the parking garage on campus. He
apparently jumped from the top floor and his death has been ruled
a suicide. At Cornell University in New York, three students have
committed suicide in just the past month. Last April, a 17-year-old
boy in Cleveland killed himself after repeated bullying at school.
Any youth death is a tragedy, but when it is a suicide, parents,
friends, and loved ones are plagued with questions. They wonder
why the teen didn't ask for help and even more devastating is
the fear that they missed a warning sign that might have saved
the young person's life.
Teens are the highest risk age group for suicide. One survey
of teens showed that one in five thought about suicide and one
in twelve had attempted suicide. Suicide is the third leading
cause of death among young people age 15-24 and the fourth leading
cause of death among children ages 10-14. It is estimated that
for every successful suicide, there are ten attempts. There are
approximately eight successful suicides of every 100,000 teens.
That might not sound like a lot unless your child is one of those
eight.
Thinking about suicide is not uncommon. Most people have
thought about it at one time or another. Even very young children
think about it, but it isn't until they are teens that they have
the cognitive ability to think up a reasonable suicide plan and
prior to their teen years, children lack the freedom and resources
they need to successfully commit suicide. By age thirteen or fourteen,
these limitations have been eliminated for most teens.
Making matters worse is the fact that teens often have very
stressful lives, but a limited ability to cope with those stressors.
They are cognitively capable of understanding that the problems
they face will eventually go away, but they are not emotionally
capable of managing their pain. Therefore, a major crisis today
is overwhelming. Divorce of parents, a breakup with a girl or
boy friend, humiliation at school, and bullying are all problems
that can seem too big to manage and suicide is often seen as a
legitimate option.
There are a number of warning signs that parents, teachers,
coaches, and friends can look for in a high risk teen. Among them
are: fascination or preoccupation with death, giving away of personal
possessions, talk of finality, statements of intent to harm oneself,
self-destructive or risk-taking behaviors, changes in personal
hygiene, hopelessness, depression, substance abuse, isolating
oneself, and suicidal attempts.
The good news is that one study showed as many as eight
in ten teens who committed suicide asked for help prior to their
suicides. This indicates that they most likely want help and will
ask for it if people listen. A common belief is that suicide attempts,
if they are feeble, or statements of intent to kill oneself are
simply attempts to gain attention. Of course they are. The person
is asking for help and if they are not taken seriously, the urge
to make a bolder statement sometimes is the only option one sees.
If you know someone who is at risk for suicide or if you
fear someone is thinking about it, ask the person directly. In
over twenty years of practice I've asked the question hundreds
of times and always gotten an honest response. Most people don't
want to die. Suicide is a last resort and the troubled person
usually wants to find a better solution.
For the person who indicates he or she is seriously considering
suicide, professional intervention is important. Call a professional
counselor. Often treatment is relatively simple and it doesn't
have to be long-term or expensive. In the most extreme cases,
medication or residential treatment may be necessary, but managing
suicidal teens is regularly done as out-patient status and medication
is not always necessary.
A teen's suicide is no one's fault except the one who commits
the act, but when parents stay engaged with their teens, when
they look for warning signs, and when they intervene when they
can, the likelihood of suicide is greatly reduced.