Clear warning signs precede suicides in more than 90% of cases .

More suicides occur because of depression than being afflicted by fatal diseases . White males have the highest increase in suicide . Reports of suicide clusters, in which one suicide triggers several others within a school or community, have increased .

Nearly 5,000 teenagers commit suicide each year. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those aged 15-24 . The ratio of male to female suicides is four to one; however, young women attempt suicide four times more frequently . Depression and the risk for suicide might have biological as well as psychological causes .

There are as many as 8 to 25 attempted suicides to 1 completed suicide . Males are four times more likely to die from suicide than females . Females are more likely to attempt suicide than males .

Not all teenagers who commit suicide are mentally ill . Possibility of completing a suicide increases with the number of attempts . Most teen suicides can be prevented by effective communication and psychotherapy .

Unbearable psychological pain: The suicidal

Person often experiences painful feelings of hopelessness and helplessness . This psychological suffering can become so unbearable that the person desperately wants a way to escape .

Mental constriction:

Children who seriously Consider suicide often lack the ability to think creatively about their problems . Instead, their thinking becomes rigid, their focus narrows, and they begin to think more and more concretely, without the ability to imagine many different solutions . Suicide suddenly looks like the only solution .

Inability to adjust:

People contemplating suicide often see themselves as unable to adjust . This could be an inability to fit in with peers, adapt to a new family situation (divorce), or live without a loved one . Considering themselves too weak to overcome difficulties, they reject every option except death .

Strained relationships:

The young person who has become suicidal often has problems in establishing or maintaining relationships with peers, family, teachers, girlfriends or boyfriends . They feel frustrated and angry because their psychological need to be understood and loved is not being met .

Loss:

Loss is central to suicide. A young person may experience the loss of a dream (playing professional sports, being accepted into a specific college), the loss of ability that comes with chronic illness, or the loss of a significant relationship . When parents are consistently very critical and a child feels that he cannot possibly meet their expectations, it also can feel like a painful loss .

Identification: If a
child is very close emotionally with a person or has made a deep emotional commitment to a religious, political, or personal ideal, the loss of that person or ideal can cause significant emotional trauma .

Substance abuse Neglect of personal appearance Unnecessary risk taking Self-loathing Feelings of wanting to die Lack of motivation

Changes in eating/sleeping habits Loss of interest in usual activities Running away Drastic behavior changes for the worse

Loss of interest in school Grades dropping Feelings of boredom Difficulty concentrating

Firearms (most common) Hanging Drowning Overdose Substance Abuse Suffocation

Jumping in front of moving vehicles Wrist Slitting Building/Bridge jumping

There is an organization called AFSP that reaches out to survivors of suicide with two goals in mind: AFSP reaches out to survivors of suicide with two goals in mind: To offer the support that is so vital, particularly to the newly bereaved; and to provide opportunities for survivors to get involved, through a wide variety of educational, outreach, awareness, advocacy and fundraising programs .

AFSP works closely with support group facilitators, first responders, clergy members, mental health professionals and others in the community, to help survivors cope with their loss, their pain, their questions and their journey of healing . In addition, AFSP has taken the leading role in developing an agenda for research on survivors of suicide loss .

There are various organizations that help with teen suicide or thoughts of it . There are also suicide hotlines that people can call if theyre having even the slightest thoughts of committing suicide . To Write Love On Her Arms is an organization for suicide prevention . There is also a Suicide Hotline that is 24-hrs . 1.800.273.8255 .

If someone you know brings up the subject of suicide, take them seriously . Reassure them that they have someone to turn to, a friend to help them . Pay attention to the post depressive period, when the individual looks near normal, it could be an unsafe period .

Dont lecture about the reasons a person has to live, listen to them . Contact someone for help . Depressive disorders respond well to psychotherapy treatments or the appropriate medication.

No parent likes to think about the possibility of her child being unhappy, let alone upset enough to consider suicide . Acknowledging this possibility could be the first step in helping a child . Certainly, if your child or teen talks about killing himself, you need to take that very seriously and seek help from a doctor or mental health professional .

There are also several factors that put teens at special risk . What may look to a parent as a small loss or disappointment may be devastating to a child . Being open and honest with your teen and recognizing and listening to their feelings without judgment could prevent a suicide from happening . If you are uncomfortable or have difficulty talking about feelings with your teenager directly, show them you care by finding a professional who can help .