Category: Suicide

Unveiling the Imperative of Suicide Prevention: Awareness, Challenges, and Hope

Introduction

Suicide prevention is an idea often talked about to help people understand the resources available to prevent suicide. Over the years, the suicide rate has been slowly increasing, making it the third leading cause of death among young people. About 44,193 Americans die every year, and worldwide, the suicide rate has gone up by 60 percent in the last 50 years. Suicide affects family members and loved ones for years. The topic of suicide is not an easy idea to converse over. Suicide prevention is an important issue that should be discussed and recognized.

Understanding the Landscape of Suicide

Suicide prevention is saving one from committing suicide. Basing it on the patient’s risk factors, we use suicide prevention methods and treatments to help treat them. Suicide is taking one’s life intentionally. Committing suicide takes actions and planning when they are at their lowest point, with a little energy to think clearly and execute the plan. Anyone can be impacted by suicide. Usually, it affects people they are close with and their loved ones.

People with poor mental health and a history of suicidal behaviors are prone to contribute to this issue. The thoughts of suicide can touch anyone. Everyone around can solve this issue when they start contributing and understanding the issues. However, individually, only people with poor mental health can truly save themselves because they choose what they want to do with their life. Jobs like therapists are those who guide them away from their issues and help try to improve them as a person.

Suicide has been known to be one of the top 3 leading causes of death in America for young adults. It is the 10th leading cause of death in general. There is one suicide death for every estimated twenty-five suicide attempts. Each year, 800,000 people die from suicide, making it that’s double and twice the number of homicides. According to the article, psychiatric disorders, genetics, substance abuse, and family and social situations are the most frequently mentioned risk factors for suicide. It was also mentioned that the risk of suicide increases 20-fold for people with severe depressive illness and bipolar disorder (“Suicide and Suicide Prevention: Risk Factors and Treatment”).

Although there are other suicide risk factors, those are the more known ones for others to be aware of, especially depression and bipolar disorder. People with these factors are more likely prone to commit suicide. “The mental illnesses with the highest prevalence of suicide risk are major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, personality disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and eating disorders” (“Suicide and Suicide Prevention: Risk Factors and Treatment”). Suicide is also connected to other forms of injury and violence, such as violence, abuse, bullying, and sexual assaults.

The Power of Suicide Prevention

With suicide prevention, there are many benefits that come along with it. Suicide prevents comes with teaching us the knowledge and sight for warning signs among individuals. According to Johnson, a suicide program should include risk factors associated with suicide, resources for help, facts and statistics about suicide, and how to help yourself or a loved one. When it comes to saving lives, suicide prevention can reduce the number of deaths, allowing preservation among families and communities. Suicide prevention can improve an individual’s mental health, where prevention can identify people who are at risk of suicide and connect them with mental health treatment along with the support they need. By being able to reduce the suffering, people who struggle with the thoughts of suicide, as well as loved ones, don’t have to go through sadness and grief.

As there are benefits to suicide prevention, there are also potential challenges to suicide prevention. When trying to prevent suicide, there are limited resources. There might not be enough sources, such as low mental health professionals, to effectively address the needs of everyone at the risk of suicide. There may be stigma surrounding suicide and mental health issues, resulting in preventing people from seeking help and opening up to express their concerns (“Suicide Prevention”).

Due to stigma, people with mental illnesses may face discrimination, be bullied, be denied housing or employment opportunities, or become violent victims. Lastly, there is complexity around suicide prevention. According to “Suicide Prevention,” suicide is a rare outcome, requiring large studies to demonstrate an intervention effect. Because suicide is a complex issue with many potential contributing factors, such as mental illness, substance abuse, relationship problems, etc., it is difficult for a professional mental institute to identify and address all of the factors in a comprehensive way.

Conclusion

Suicide hotlines are available for people to call when they are thinking of doing it. Talking It gives the individual a chance to be heard and see that someone cares about them. The best way to help someone who is suicidal is to recognize the signs and reach out. They might express how they feel that they have no reason to keep going. Be there for those who are struggling, even if not a professional; talking to someone allows them to get the unhappy feeling out of their chest. Let them know things will get better in life, don’t end it, and be strong. Remind them that life still matters. Just give them a shoulder to lean on and an ear to listen to. The community should promote a healthy connection and protective environment, which can allow one to identify and support people at risk, follow up with them, help connect, and keep them safe. Suicide prevention educates and teaches coping and problem-solving skills.

References

1. “The Savage God: A Study of Suicide” by A. Alvarez
2. “The Virgin Suicides” by Jeffrey Eugenides
3. “Suicide: A Study in Sociology” by Émile Durkheim

The Urgent Need to Address Suicide: Causes, Consequences, and Prevention

Introduction

Suicide has become one of the alarming social problems of our time, affecting all our lives in one way or the other. It is a very common experience and everyday news in our society. Moreover, it is still considered a silent issue of discussion, with fewer or no efforts being made to prevent or stop this act.

Personal Narratives: Illuminating the Realities

Suicide is mainly the act of taking one’s own life. It is a complex topic involving copious factors and should not be defined by any single cause. Not all people who die by suicide have a mental illness, and not all people with a mental illness try to end their lives by suicide. People experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings are suffering from numerous emotional pain. Most people who died by suicide typically had overwhelming feelings of hopelessness, depression, and helplessness. Actually, suicide is not a moral weakness or a character flaw. People going through suicide feel as though their pain is never-ending and that suicide is the only way to get rid of the suffering.

I am from Brahmanbaria, and I have heard or experienced a lot of suicidal cases. Many circumstances and factors contribute to this decision to end someone’s life. They can be Dowry, sexual abuse, depression, social pressure, mental illness, and many more reasons. I am including some incidents here-

Recently, a housewife allegedly committed suicide by setting herself afire at Sholakandi village in Brahmanbaria’s Sarail upazila. The victim was identified as Shima Rani Gope, 28, wife of Nantu Gope. Shima came to visit her father’s house in Sholakandi village a few days ago. And she set herself afire after pouring kerosene into the toilet of the house. Her charred body was recovered from the toilet after breaking open the door. The main reason behind her suicide was dowry. Her husband asked for money from her maternal house. As she was unable to ask for money and due to high depression because of her husband’s torture of her, she committed suicide.

Understanding Suicide: A Multifaceted Crisis

Another incident was when a girl who failed in the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) Examination allegedly committed suicide by taking poison at Mayrampur village in Bancharampur upazila of Brahmanbaria recently. She appeared in the examination from Dhariarchar Haji Omar Ali High School. She failed the SSC examination; she couldn’t handle that failure. Due to social pressure and emotional overflow, she committed suicide by taking poison.

And recently, a heartbreaking suicidal incident occurred near my house. And I have experienced this visibly. A young housewife and her newborn child died after the woman reportedly jumped off a hospital building after throwing down the child at Jail Road in Brahmanbaria town. The victims were Sima Akter, wife of a Bangladeshi expatriate living abroad, Monir Miah of village Ghatiar in Sadar upazila, and his three sons. Family sources said Sima was taken to Life Care Hospital after she went into labor on October 16. She gave birth to the boy through a cesarean section on the day and was scheduled to be discharged from the hospital on Friday morning.

Sima had an argument with her mother in the morning over paying the hospital bills, said companions of other patients in the ward. When her mother went outside after the brawl, the housewife allegedly took the baby and went to the rooftop of the six-story hospital building. She then threw down the child and jumped off the rooftop herself. Both of them died on the spot. The reason behind this suicide is presumed to be anxiety and depression. Post-pregnancy depression and anxiety as she was unable to pay the bills. Also, her husband was not near her as he lives abroad. This mental stress she could not handle, and due to rage, she committed suicide with her newborn baby. This incident had a great impact on people.

Prevention as Imperative: A Call to Action

The prevention of suicide is important not only to the victim but also to the survivors. One important thing to be kept in mind when dealing with suicide is that suicidal tendencies are always higher among the friends and relatives of a suicide victim. The grief, guilt, blame, shame, and feelings of helplessness experienced by survivors are also incalculable. Therefore, whenever a person, either directly or indirectly, threatens suicide, the listener should be accepting, caring, and supportive. Suicide is a failure of the creator’s will and plan. Many people want to end their lives because they cannot think of a good and satisfying reason to live.

We should take responsibility in this to give meaning to life. Allah has created each person with a specific purpose and designed a slot in the universe for which there is no substitute. We must teach every person to have the conviction that he/she is created or chosen to achieve His will and purpose. We must give answers, help, and comfort the agonized. Love and support can only support these grieving ones who are left alone with the question: If we make it possible to discover Allah’s purpose and design for each person day by day through prayer and meditation and constant fellowship with Allah, it will make life exciting and challenging. The love for life and the sense of urgency to do what is intended would be so overwhelming that there would not be any time to think of ending life.

Conclusion

As humans, it is true that we all must die one day. But the way we die also matters. Allah gave us this life, just one life, to enjoy it and take proper care of it. We are going to give our own account of how we use it one final day when we stand in front of the One who gave us. We have discussed suicide in my area in this paper, and the current growth rate is rising in a drastic way. There may obviously be more of it because some even consider people taking drugs or other intoxicants as indirectly committing suicide.

Now, in conclusion, I want to say that it is time we fight against it and tell the world that suicide is not an answer to life. There might be problems and suffering in life, but we have to face it. It is just a cowardly act to escape from suffering. But, on the other hand, if we endure the sufferings of life, the reward is always greater than what we actually imagine. Therefore, it is a great challenge for us to help someone in need, console someone depressed, and comfort them.

References

1. “It’s Kind of a Funny Story” by Ned Vizzini
2. “Stay: A History of Suicide and the Arguments Against It” by Jennifer Michael Hecht
3. “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression” by Andrew Solomon
4. “I Was Here” by Gayle Forman

Understanding the Complexities of Suicide: Exploring the Impact of Bullying

Introduction

Did you know in 2017, 47,173 Americans died by suicide, being the 10th leading cause of death in the U.S. according to the “American Foundation for Suicide Prevention”? Many teens and adults have different reasons to take their own life, but suicide is never the answer. It only ends the victim’s pain, although the pain passes down to their loved ones. Teens and adults commit suicide for the following reasons: being bullied, depression, and living in an abusive household.

Bullying as a Silent Tormentor

Bullying over the years has changed. With all the advancement of technology, cyberbullying has become one of the worst types of bullying since a person can attack someone without physically being in front of them. For example, in Yucaipa, California, Rosalie Avila, a 13-year-old, hanged herself after years of bullying at school. According to “Bullied Teen Who Killed Herself Apologized for Being Ugly, Didn’t Want Any Photos at Funeral,” Rosalie Avila left a note that said, “…I love you, Mom. I’m sorry you’re gonna find me like this,” Rosalie’s father, Freddie Avila, tells PEOPLE. “Another note said, ‘Please, don’t post any pictures of me at my funeral.’ Those were her goodbye notes.”. Rosalie Avila was being made fun of because of her appearance and called names.

Rosalie believed everything they told her since it lowered her self-esteem. Furthermore, “…classmates circulated a video portraying what an ugly girl looked like and what a pretty girl looked like and used a picture of Rosalie to portray the ugly girl,” Claypool said. “The video was circulated throughout the school and online, going viral. In her suicide note, Rosalie apologized to her parents for being ugly.”. It is heartbreaking when a beautiful soul takes their own life because they can’t deal with the pain and thinks their only way out is to end their life. Rosalie Avila had a long life ahead of her, but sadly, she didn’t want to live her life anymore. When I think of bullies, what comes to mind is that it only happens in High School, Middle School, and Elementary, but sadly, that’s not true. Bullying can happen anywhere, at any time, and at any age.

Conclusion

For example, Rhian Collins, a 30-year-old nurse and mother of two kids, committed suicide after being bullied by her colleagues. The article “Nurse Killed Herself after being bullied at Work, Probe Finds” explains that Rhian, who worked at Cefn Coed Hospital in Swansea, Wales, hanged herself in her home. “She was having issues at work, investigating officer Sgt. Nia Lambley said, according to the report. She was being sworn at, bullied, and believed she was continually given the worst shifts on the ward. This led to her becoming obsessed with her appearance, and she would go to the gym four times a day.” Rhian Collins was having trouble with her colleagues since they made her work difficult and made her obsessed with her appearance.

References

1. “Stay: A History of Suicide and the Arguments Against It” by Jennifer Michael Hecht
2. “The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression” by Andrew Solomon

Exploring Suicide Prevention and Its Impact: Insights from a Documentary

Introduction

My overall response to this video is that it’s really informative and really digs into why people commit suicide and how it can be prevented. The video addresses the questions of: What kind of unhappiness leads to suicide? Many people face struggles in their lives, and as these struggles continue to grow, many people find that they have run out of coping mechanisms that can help them get through these struggles. It may only take one small act to send a person over the edge where they may contemplate or even commit suicide.

Understanding the Underlying Factors of Suicide

For some, it could be a breakup with a significant other, a loss of employment, an illness in the family, feeling unhappy or lonely, or feeling hopeless. For others, it might be because of failure and rejection they feel that they have caused. Suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Many of the people who commit suicide or try to attempt to commit suicide don’t want to die but just want the pain to stop. These people don’t see anything else; they just see the awful things happening to them. People who have suicidal thoughts are dealing with psychological pain, a bunch of negative emotions, loneliness, and guilt.

One type of suicide described in the documentary is egoistic suicide, which occurs when a person commits suicide as a result of not feeling like they belong to society; they struggle to find a reason to live. People who commit egoistic suicide have weak or very little social bonds to their society. Another type of suicide described in the documentary was altruistic suicide, which occurs when a person sacrifices one’s life to save or benefit others. Both examples were seen with the woman named Christine in the documentary. Christine, who is a middle-aged woman, tried to end her life by eating a huge amount of prescription drugs. She discusses her life in an emergency room.

Christine explains how unbearable life is for her. She feels her husband doesn’t love her, can’t bear the thought of being left alone, and believes her 12-year-old son is better off without her and with someone else. Another type of suicide described in the documentary was anomic suicide, which is linked to disillusionment and disappointment. It is a condition where social and moral norms are confused, unclear, or simply not present. This was seen in the documentary when a suicide hotline volunteer revealed what she had learned on the job. People don’t treat each other very well, she says. ‘It’s disillusioning.’ The last type of suicide described in the documentary was fatalistic suicide, which occurs in oppressive societies, causing people to die rather than live within their society.

An example of this was the 12-year-old boy who hanged himself. Many people do not believe that suicides affect others around them. When one commits such an act, everyone is affected, such as family members, friends, teammates, and even neighbors. The pain that the victim leaves behind for his loved ones is sometimes unbearable for them. Many of these people who have lost a loved one have mixed emotions. Some feel sadness, while others feel anger. I feel that one of the hardest things a family member has to do is clean up at the end of the day after their loved one has committed suicide. This can be emotional, hard, and unpleasant for family members. They do this while they are still trying to process what has happened, how it has happened, and why it happened.

Prevention Strategies and Their Importance

Preventing suicide emerges as a major theme in the documentary. The documentary provides information about preventing suicide and treating mental illness. It is believed that we can prevent suicides by learning and acting on early warning signs. Depression is the major cause of suicidal thoughts and ideas. After a while, people become worn down and become less happy and lonelier. Depression can affect anyone; it doesn’t matter if you are rich, poor, young, or old. It doesn’t look at your race, religion, or beliefs.

Depression is a medical condition that deals with the functioning of brain chemicals and emotions, and that is why it makes any person susceptible to it. Common causes for depression can include the death of a loved one or someone close, divorce, or loss of a home or job. Depression leads to people having pain, which causes them to have a displeasure from something that is important to the person suffering.

Suicide intervention is another theme in the documentary. The director of Suicide Intervention Training plays a really emotional 911 tape-recorded when a young girl finds her dead brother, who has shot himself in the head. He’s trying to prepare his Police Department’s 911 operators for the emotion and the horror they will face should they ever receive such a call. The director of the documentary takes his camera to different suicide intervention centers to show how many professionals are being prepared to prevent someone from committing suicide. Postvention is a response to help the healing of individuals from grief and stress and prevent suicide in people who have been exposed to suicide and are at high risk.

Conclusion

Examples of this are given throughout the documentary, but the one that stood out to me was Christine. I believe that the more people are educated about suicide, the warning signs, and how to prevent suicide, the more it might decrease the number of suicides in America.

References

1. “The Suicidal Mind” by Edwin S. Shneidman
2. “My Lovely Wife in the Psych Ward: A Memoir” by Mark Lukach
3. “Reasons to Stay Alive” by Matt Haig
4. “Suicide: A Study in Sociology” by Emile Durkheim

Addressing Adolescent Suicide: Prevention Programs, Awareness, and Support

Introduction

Suicide is one of the major leading causes of death for young adolescents ages 15-24. Somewhere in America, a child is in their room having suicidal thoughts. They are overthinking if it is worth being alive or if anyone cares if they are gone. Day by day, the thought just keeps spiraling in their head until one night, they finally attempt to disappear. Some succeed in carrying out their plan, but those who do not are able to get a second chance to look for help. Children are dealing with depression and suicidal ideation alone because they believe there is no one they can count on.

Informing Students

Most of the time, parents do not even know their children are going through such things as depression, anxiety, or suicidal thoughts. Parents and schools should work together to provide a safe environment where teenagers feel comfortable finding the resources they need to talk about their issues. Both high schools and middle schools should implement suicide prevention programs because these programs help inform students about the issue, provide counseling for students who are at risk for suicide and can decrease suicide rates among teenagers.

Suicide among young adolescents is the most severe health problem faced in the United States. Mental health is overlooked by many parents; most of the time, parents do not know when their children are in distress. Throughout the years, these rates have only been increasing. As of 2017, young adults ages 15-24 had a suicide rate of 14.46 (AFSP). Parents often feel uncomfortable talking about suicide or mental illness and tend to avoid the subject. Organizations have strived to place suicide prevention programs in schools as a resource for students. According to Elizabeth Schilling, affiliated with the American Public Health Association, The SOS Suicide Prevention Program is being held in a few high schools across the United States and has seen a decrease in suicide attempts. Another prevention program, Stop a Suicide Today, is provided at schools and has experienced success in reducing suicide attempts.

The reason for these programs is to help inform, observe, and identify students with warning signs of depression or suicidal behavior. Self-administered questionnaires are completed by students to further evaluate students. Many young adolescents feel like they have no support or feel afraid to reach out for reasons such as thinking adults will not believe them or possibly judge them for the situation. (Schilling). Providing these prevention programs in schools is an informative and interactive opportunity for students and teachers to raise awareness of suicide and depression. It will help start a conversation in the classroom about mental illness and the stigma surrounding suicide. Students’ knowledge is increased, and they are presented with resources available to them to get help for themselves or others. As a parent, family members, teachers, school counselors/administrators, etc., we as a whole community need to step up and cooperate in supporting these young adolescents, fearing to reach out for help.

Providing suicide prevention programs in both high schools and middle schools would help inform students about the issue. Jessica Portner, a publisher from Education Week, suggests that just like schools have effective plans for fire, tornado, or lockdown drills, they should have one for suicide prevention. When it comes to situations like suicide, schools are unprepared to deal with it (Portner). By getting informed, these students can also be a part of helping others they may know are going through suicidal ideations. This idea is also a way for students to understand what others may be feeling because we never truly see what is going on through one’s mind. Some might show signs, for example, a lack of interest in events or hobbies, sleeping more often, or distancing themselves from friends and family.

Counseling for At-Risk Students

In some cases, they hide from what they may be going through. They might act like they are living their best life and have nothing to worry about, but in reality, it might be the complete opposite. Recently, an acquaintance from high school tragically committed suicide. Everyone described him as a happy, loving, hardworking, caring, funny, responsible, and extraordinary person. Someone whom you would never think would do such a thing, but that day, he left a distressful message and never returned home. He was later found dead, and everyone questioned why this tragedy occurred.

You must always check up on friends because you never know what they could truly be feeling. Bill Bernat, a Ted Talk speaker, expresses that sometimes the best way to connect with a friend who is depressed is simply by being there to distract them from their own thoughts. It is tough not knowing what to say to a close friend, but that is why being informed is helpful for situations like these. Having a friend by your side who makes an effort to keep you distracted simply by going shopping, playing sports, or anything you might like are the friends that may help you recover without even trying (Bernat). Not only can friends do this, but so can teachers.

By creating a trustworthy relationship with a student who is going through hardships, the student will feel comfortable enough to confide in the teacher. Sometimes, these young adults cannot confide in a parent because the quality of the relationship contributes to their depression. The closest adult they can confide in is teachers, and that is why teachers should also engage in suicide prevention programs. In Jonathan Singer’s article, a social work professor states that if school staff obtained training in suicide counseling, they would be able to help inform school social workers. It is a lot of responsibility to take as a teacher, but if they are willing to help, it will save many children who are at risk of committing suicide.

Decreasing Suicide Rates

Through these programs’ students are not only being informed, they are also being provided with counseling for those at risk of suicide. Many are too afraid to reach out for counseling, but with these programs, they will either be helped or encouraged to reach for more resources. Hannah Nieskens and Melissa Robbins acknowledge that it takes an immense amount of effort to make suicide prevention a priority in schools. According to Research done at a high school, 31% of students have felt sad or hopeless almost every day for two weeks or more in a row. Over 20% have sincerely considered attempting suicide, and 10% have attempted suicide (Education Week). Providing a Multi-Tiered System of Support would help identify and support students who are struggling emotionally, academically, socially, or behaviorally (Nieskens & Robbins).

Making teachers’ students’ mental health a responsibility will ensure that they have the amount of support needed to be successful emotionally and academically. Some teenagers avoid speaking about it with a friend because they feel like it would be a burden on them, and they would also not know how to deal with it either. This is another reason teenagers tend to keep everything to themselves, believing they could handle it. Until one day, it becomes overwhelming to the point they have had enough. A young teenager who attempted suicide, Leanne Coiled, states, “I did not want to die…but I was so sick of the routine that I was in. I was kind of in a choice of do I continue to feel how I feel or just end this and not worry about it anymore.”

As every problem begins to pile up, it is something you would rather not deal with any longer. Ivy Kwong, the therapist, analyzes the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Hannah Baker, the main character, reaches out to someone for help: her school counselor. Kwong mentions that the counselor “does not pick up on her signs of depression and instead asks her all sorts of victim blaming and shaming questions. The one adult Hannah reaches out to for help lets her down.” This is a perfect example of why many students are afraid of reaching out; they believe they will not get the support they need. In some cases, counselors may not know how to respond, but having the resources available for any issues that may arise is helpful. All middle schools and high schools should find a way to address how to improve students’ mental health and prevent suicide. It is important for teachers to have resources available in hand to prevent any tragedies.

Breaking the Stigma

Decreasing these suicide rates takes an immense amount of effort and responsibility, but if we do not start to make a change, teen suicide will continue to rise. According to Michael Lindsey, director of Research at the Silver School of Social Work, a study has shown that suicidal behavior is occurring due to some children lacking the necessary resources. While being a part of a team that analyzed data documenting suicidal behavior, Lindsey “suggests that continued concern and attention regarding suicidal behavior among high school youth is warranted.”

In an article by Aaron E. Carroll, he claims that it was the first time in more than 20 years there were more teenagers who died from suicide than homicides in 2011. He goes on to state, “These trends have been known for years. Our response to them has not adequately acknowledged their progression.” As a society, we can support by providing a safer and supportive environment for teenagers, such as at school and at home. Letting those friends or family relatives who are at risk of suicide know that they are not alone and reassuring them that they are worth living. I’m checking up on them here and there to limit isolation.

If you have a friend who you believe is showing signs or signals of suicide, it is best not to hesitate to ask them in a way where they are calm and open to having that conversation. Having patience with them is important because it is something they are not comfortable speaking about. Stephanie Doupnik, a pediatrician and child health advocate, was inspired to understand what it is like for adolescents who seek emergency treatment to prevent suicide (Vox). She and her colleagues conducted a research study to perceive adolescents’ experiences to improve care for them. Many appreciate having someone trustworthy to talk to because all these teenagers want to feel better.

Sometimes, having a supportive professional allows adolescents to feel relieved and well-cared for. Even if it is simply being a supportive friend, family, teacher, etc., they can help improve individuals’ journey toward feeling better. Shayda, a suicide survivor, said, “You can’t read depression on the outside based on how a person is looking. You can smile and feel depressed. You can smile and still feel like you want to die.” We may not know what everyone is going through, but instead, we should not judge a person who might be on the edge of committing something horrific. The least we could do is give them a simple smile or sit down and listen to them. By doing so, we could help make a difference.

Many films, books, and television shows have received backlash for exposing young adults to suicide. Organizations like the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and Christine Moutier, director of The Parents Television Council, who supervises entertainment media, were against the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. They both demanded Netflix to take down the show when it was released in March 2017 for displaying the graphic suicide scene of Hannah Baker. The self-inflicted wounds were too graphic for certain viewers, but it is no different from gruesome movies and violent video games. A recent study examined the series on the apparent effect of internet searches on suicide. Brian Yorkey, the show’s creator, states that the show was created “to tell a story that would help young viewers feel seen and heard and encourage empathy in all who viewed it.”

Although the film was made to help viewers, a positive and negative outcome came to be. As hoped, there were searches like “suicide hotline,” “suicide prevention,” and “teen suicide.” But there were also searches like “how to commit suicide” and “how to kill yourself” (The New York Times). A study’s author wrote, “It has increased suicidal awareness while unintentionally increasing suicidal ideation” (The Washington Post). It was meant to be a raw and graphic series because it is the crucial truth about what people go through, and it is hard for adults to accept that there are young people dying because of suicide and depression. Many teenagers have actually found the series 13 Reasons Why as an encouragement to start a conversation and reach out for help. Overall, this series has had its ups and downs, but it has definitely opened an opportunity to begin a conversation with young adolescents about difficult issues like suicide and depression.

Encouraging Open Conversations

Some parents are against schools taking advantage of teaching their children about suicide and mental health. According to Jessica Portner, many parents believe situations like suicide or mental health are family matters discussions and not their responsibility to teach them. They believe schools should focus on academic purposes and interfere with their parenting. Parents tend to avoid the topic of suicide or mental illness because some may think it is not an important issue for their children to know; they would rather not speak of an overwhelming subject or are simply not ready to cope with the acceptance of their child having mental health problems (Portner).

This is why young adults are afraid of speaking to their parents about their situation because parents tend to believe they are not dealing with anything and are mentally okay. It is common for parents to sense the need to protect their children from harm. Who would want their children to suffer from mental illness? Sometimes, trying to protect your children is not the best idea because it can turn out to worsen the situation. Parents want to believe their children are always healthy and have no distress, even at such a young age as 15. They might also confuse a teenager’s change of character as just a phase, or they will get over it.

However, ignoring the truth will only lead to a point where you can no longer ignore it. Leading parents to say, “I had no idea; I never thought they would do that.” This only makes parents feel disappointed and start blaming themselves for noticing when it was too late, wishing their kid would have just said something. The best you can do for your children is to inform and observe them for any symptoms. It does not hurt to ask your kid if they are okay or if something is wrong. You want your kids to feel like they can trust you and count on you for support. Not only will it be easier to prevent a tragedy, but both the parent and child will be well informed of the support systems available.

Conclusion

The rates of teen suicides and suicide attempts are on the rise and will continue to increase if we as a society do not begin to make an effort to prevent these tragedies. Many people fear talking about mental illness and suicide when it should be our job to remove its stigma. If we continue to avoid this conversation, it will only endure a worse outcome. Suicide has become the most concerning health problem faced in the United States. Providing prevention programs in both middle schools and high schools will benefit students by providing knowledge about depression and suicide. Students will learn how to seek help for themselves or a friend and how to overcome obstacles preventing them from seeking help. Our community can do so much simply by cooperating in guiding these young adults to feel better. If we do this, we can save a life and make them feel cared for instead of having them feel hopeless in their room and having suicidal thoughts.

References

1. American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) URL: https://afsp.org/suicide-statistics/
2. Schilling, E.(American Public Health Association). Suicide Prevention Programs in Schools: A Policy Brief. [PDF Document] URL: https://www.apha.org/~/media/files/pdf/factsheets/suicide%20prevention%20school%20policy%20brief.ashx
3. Portner, J. (Education Week). Schools Struggle to Find Best Ways to Address Students’ Mental Health. [Website] URL: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/schools-struggle-to-find-best-ways-to-address-students-mental-health/2006/02
4. Bernat, B. (TED Talk). How Conversations Can Save Lives. [TED Talk Video URL: https://www.ted.com/talks/bill_bernat_how_conversations_can_save_lives
5. Nieskens, H. & Robbins, M. Creating a Safe Space: What Schools Can Do to Help Prevent Teen Suicide. [Website] URL: https://www.edweek.org/leadership/creating-a-safe-space-what-schools-can-do-to-help-prevent-teen-suicide/2021/08