Adolescent Depression/Suicide

psi.bmp (21826 bytes) William W. Lee, Ed.D.

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

UNDERSTANDING AND PREVENTING TEEN SUICIDE

Depression in children and adolescents often goes unrecognized, resulting in its being ignored and untreated. Children and adolescents communicate more with their behaviors rather than with their words. Behaviors suggestive of feelings of sadness, hopelessness, anger and a lack of enjoyment need to be addressed. Other behaviors indicative of depression include doing poorly in school, a change in sleep or eating patterns, decreased energy for doing enjoyable things, decreased energy for interacting with others, and irritability.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, teen suicide is not a rare event. Suicide is the fifth leading cause of death among 5- to 14-year olds, and the third leading cause of death for those aged 15 to 24, surpassed only by car accidents and homicide.

Risk Factors

Adolescence is a transition period between childhood and adulthood and the search for independence begins. Feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness, inadequacy, confusion and self-doubt are heightened. Sensitivity to their environment intensifies, resulting in a need for an adequate support network. Adolescents also are becoming keenly aware of problems that are out of their control – divorce of their parents, alcoholism of a family member, exposure to domestic violence, or family history of depression. To cope with conflicts, they may numb the pain of their feelings with alcohol or drugs, promiscuity, or unhealthy relationships, which are some of the coping mechanisms adolescents adopt.

Warning Signs

Many more teenagers attempt suicide than actually succeed, and the methods used may be naīve. There is a tendency to treat perceived minor attempts as attention-seeking, hysterical behaviors and of no importance. This is a mistake, as a teenager who has attempted suicide and has not received any relief from his or her impossible situation may well be a successful repeater. All suicidal behaviors reflect a cry for help and must be taken seriously.

Mental health professionals recommend that if a teen displays one or more of the following signs, parents need to talk to their youngster about their concerns and seek professional help when the concerns persist:

	Change in eating and sleeping patterns
	Withdrawal from friends, family and regular activities
	Violent actions, rebellious behavior or running away
	Unusual neglect of personal appearance
	Marked personality change
	Persistent boredom, difficulty concentrating, or a decline in the quality of schoolwork
	Frequent complaints about physical symptoms, often related to emotions, such as stomachaches, headaches, fatigue, etc.
	Loss of interest in pleasurable activities
	Not tolerating praise or rewards
	Talk of suicide, pre-occupation with death
	Self-destructive behaviors (such as reckless driving, drug and alcohol abuse, promiscuity)
	Giving away favorite possessions

A teenager who is planning to commit suicide may also:

	Complain of being "rotten inside"
	Give verbal hints with statements such as: "I won’t be a problem for you much longer," "Nothing matters," "Its no use," "I won’t see you again"
	Put his or her affairs in order – (such as giving away favorite possessions, cleaning his or her room, throwing away important belongings)
	Become suddenly cheerful after a period of depression

People often feel uncomfortable talking about death, but asking a youngster whether he or she is depressed or thinking about suicide can be helpful. Rather than "putting thoughts in the teen’s head", such a question will provide assurance that somebody cares and will give the young person a chance to talk about problems. With support from family and professional treatment, children and teenagers who are suicidal can heal and return to a healthier path of development.