About Teen Suicide Today

According to a recent analysis, an increase in teen suicides was found between 2007 and 2015 in which the suicide rate increased 31% for young boys and doubled for young girls (unknown, 2017).

•  According to Katie Hurley, some of the reasons why teens are having a hard time might be because of bullying, heavy social media use, economic stressors, family problems, trauma, and academic stress (hurley, n.d.).
• According to a new analysis, between 2007 and 2015 the number of children and teens in the United States who visited emergency rooms for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts doubled (Bracho-Sanchez, 2019).

B. Teen suicide is a problem on a local level.

1. Texas Department of State Health Services states that the age group, 15 to 24 years old, has died by suicide at twice the rate of any other age group in the county (hernandez, 2013)
2. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, in the Rio Grande Valley, 856 people lost their lives to suicide between 1999 and 2013 (hernandez, 2013).
3.  In 2013, 40 people killed themselves in Hidalgo county including Andrew Peralez (hernandez, 2013).

Transition:

Though it is apparent that teen suicide is a significant problem both at a national and local level, it is also clear that many people are uneducated about teen suicide and its signs. II. The second part of the problem is that people do not know enough about teen suicide and cannot identify the signs. A. According to Kaslow, a psychiatric disorder, particularly a mood disorder like depression, or a trauma are the most common signs of a future suicide attempt (Kaslow, n.d.). B. Kaslow states that family history of suicide can also significantly contribute and be of concern as a warning sign (Kaslow, n.d.). C.

In addition, one of the myths about suicidal talk, and actual suicide attempts, in young people is that they are just looking for attention and are dismissed as overdramatic (Kaslow, n.d.).

Transition:

Teen suicide is a significant problem that needs to be addressed. A solution is desperately needed. III. The solution I propose is to prevent teen suicide by helping people identify the signs and report the warning signs. This solution will work because nobody wants to see someone close to them going through something. A. Internet websites and prevention programs have shown to reduce child abuse.

1.  According to NCBI, social networking sites for suicide prevention can increase awareness of prevention programs, crisis help lines, and other support and educational resources (Luxton, June, & Fairall, 2012)
2. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline's web site features an innovative social media platform in which suicide survivor stories are presented by animated avatars which provides an anonymous, personalized, and interactive experience geared toward suicide prevention (Luxton, June, & Fairall, 2012).
3. By being well-informed of the signs, my personal counselor was able to notice the warning signs of suicide and was able to prevent her clients from committing suicide. In addition, she provided medical help in a mental health clinic.

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