Suicide

                                                         Suicide

Suicide, the act of intentionally killing oneself, has been recorded historically since the

middle ages. In some countries, suicide is treated as a crime, while in other countries,

suicide is regarded as a means of atonement for one’s failure. An estimated one million

people commit suicide every year worldwide. Suicide is a leading cause of death among

teenagers and people older than 35. More women try; more men succeed. More humans

die from suicide a year than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke,

pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined. The different ways of

committing suicide are breaking ones own bones, hanging oneself, cutting or stabbing

oneself, jumping in front of a moving vehicle or off of a high place, overdose on drugs or

alcohol, poisoning oneself, shooting oneself with a firearm, starving oneself, etc..

.

There were 3,611 suicide deaths in Canada in 2007. It was the tenth leading cause

of death in the country, more than car crashes and homicides combined.

“We go to at least one suicide attempt every single day,” says George Eliadis, duty

officer for Toronto EMS.

For every suicide death there are 25 attempts, according to the Canadian

Association for Suicide Prevention—based on the 2007 figure, that’s 90,000.

Also, suicide is the third leading cause of death for young people in America and

accounts for 4,500 lives lost every year in the country. According to the American

Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, nearly half a million teenagers make a

suicide attempt every year.

Psychologist Norman Weissberg, director of training at Contact Greater

Philadelphia, which offers a free crisis line for those who feel suicidal, says parents are

often the last to know when their children have suicidal thoughts. “It is the nature of

adolescents to keep secrets, especially from their parents,” he said.

Psychological autopsies—post-suicide studies of family and peers—reveal that

young people are more likely to confide to their friends. Their confidants tend to believe

that sharing that information would be a betrayal. They need to learn, says David Shaffer,

professor of psychiatry and pediatrics at Columbia university, that telling an adult would

be a compassionate act that could save a life.

“There is some kind of trigger—a romantic disruption, an arrest, an argument

with parents, a failed test in school, relentless bullying—that might precipitate a suicide,”

says Benjamin Shain, head of the division of child and adolescent psychiatry at the

northshore university health system in Evanston, Ill..

Parents are advised to look for images in behavior or attitude: a pleasant child 

who becomes surly, a teenager who begins hallucinating or injuring himself or herself by

cutting or burning. Aggressive behavior can be a warning. So can verbal hints, such as ‘I

won’t be a problem for you much longer.’ Giving away favorite possessions may be a

clue. And look out for the child who becomes suddenly cheerful after a period of

depression. He/She may be more at peace because he/she has figured a way out.

The CDC study from Los Angeles, California identified risk factors for suicides:

frequent family moves, attending multiple schools and living with different parental

figures. There are protective factors as well, suicide experts say, such as strong

connections to a caring adult, whether a parent, teacher or coach, and a sense of

belonging to one’s community. “The stronger the connections are, the lower the risk,”

said David Litts, director of science and policy at the federally funded national suicide

prevention resource center.

Suicide is a huge issue. If you notice any symptoms in a child or adolescent,

contact someone immediately.

Finding Help, Helping Others Get Assistance

Feeling Blue

Suicide Prevention Council

1-800-273-8255

Survivors Of Suicide

215-545-2242

American Foundation For Suicide Prevention

www.afsp.org