Category: Suicide

Community capacity building (CCB) is the conceptual framework for vulnerable social issues. It allows for resolving delicate problems by analyzing and applying the communitys capacity to solve and eliminate public challenges. The given case study presents the high suicide rates as a troublesome social issue of a particular city. It is essential to understand that CCB should be thoroughly thought out and elaborated on before its implementation because the effectiveness of the program is highly dependent on it.

The case study attempts to demonstrate how a social worker can introduce the conceptual framework of community capacity building as a quick solution for the high suicide rates of a small town. The causes can be low employment rates and the lack of education on the subject. In addition, the numbers are high among teenagers, which makes the issue more intricate. The town also does not possess a qualified mental health professional, whose role is to guide and educate the local population on aid opportunities. The goal is to design and propose a CCB-based social program that reduces or eliminates the high number of suicide rates in the given town.

CCB Benefits and Concerns

The key benefit of the CCB is that it allows a social worker to observe and eliminate the emerging efficiency issues throughout its implementation. The problem of evaluating the effectiveness of community capacity-building-based social programs is one of the most difficult in modern economics due to the diversity of social policy objectives and plans implementing it (Ife 2016). Also, it is highly challenging due to the inability to find the accurate quantitative measure, and the need to take into account feedback expressed in the populations response to actions taken. The definition of social efficiency as the ratio of the obtained social benefits to the cost of achieving them leaves open the question of what results can be considered favorable. It is relevant because the objectives need to be defined in the goals of a specific program and develop recommendations for their quantification. The social-quantitative proposal is not always a possible response to which is possible only with a significant time lag.

Measuring the effectiveness of the social sphere requires the use of specific qualitative indicators of the development for each branch of this sphere. Nevertheless, the formation of a general methodological approach, which allows forming individual criteria for specific social programs on its basis, is an urgent scientific task. The effectiveness of CCB social programs should be considered in the context of three assessments: the overall result, the overall effect, and the net effect. The outcome describes the average values among program participants, such as suicidal teenagers and unemployed people (Kenny & Connors 2017). In the case of evaluation of social programs, this may be an increase in household incomes as a consequence of the introduction of new types of benefits, the share of participants who improved the results, which were taken into consideration when they entered the program.

The overall effect of the program is the result of comparing the outcomes between the group of participants in the program and the group not participating in it. The calculation of the total effect is often diminished by incorrectly evaluating the impact of the program since the groups of participants are usually not selected in the program randomly. Therefore, the values may differ significantly from the group that did not participate in the program.

CCB Approaches

The action plan approach is the most plausible approach due to its practicality and the small population size of the town. To correctly assess the net effect of the CCB program, it is necessary to construct a hypothetical scenario designed to reflect the situation in which the program was not implemented. For example, in the case of studying a plan to support families with suicidal teenagers, the researcher should model the exposure group and the control group. The exposure group includes families that participated in the program, such as suicidal teens and unemployed people. The control group contains people that did not participate in the program but are in similar conditions with the families included in the program. The hypothetical scenario can be built using two approaches, which are experimental and asset-based methods.

An experimental approach to program evaluation is a reasonable and reliable way to estimate the net effect. The essence of the method lies in the fact that the researcher selects several individuals or families with similar characteristics to participate in the program (Horsford & Sampson 2014). In addition, participants are distributed between the control and experimental groups randomly. Random distribution allows a social worker to get an unbiased estimate of the effect by eliminating known and unknown systematic errors, especially the trend, which is caused by the factors of time and space.

Although the asset-based method has significant drawbacks and limitations in its application, it is still plausible to apply, because it is suitable for small towns. In some cases, it is possible to allow people to receive help for ethical reasons. For example, it seems unreasonable and unethical to exclude people from hunger programs only for better studying the design and results of the program. Moreover, excluding a group of people from participating in a program that could potentially benefit them may aggravate social tensions in society and lead to conflicts. Another argument against the use of the experimental approach is that a large number of programs are implemented at the national level; therefore, it is not possible to define control and experimental groups.

The main criteria for successful CCB implementation involve informative and critical measures, which allow social workers to integrate the program initiative systematically. They include open information spreading and raising awareness of the issue (Kenny & Connors 2017). The given small town can effortlessly inform the entire population about the current state of unemployment and suicide rates. People need to be warned that there is a connection between these problems because both of them are interlinked in a causal relationship.

CCB Components and Features

The key CCB component is to support vulnerable families because the negotiation-based measures do not effectively work with suicidal and traumatized community members. The most important feature of social support that distinguishes it from social protection and assistance is that it is characterized by the activity of the unemployed, a certain degree of its independence, focus on overcoming a difficult life situation. A person without a job is trying to use the external and internal resources in their arsenal, which makes it possible to a certain extent not to be in a position to ask for help or protection from someone. Therefore, the aid should be promoted and openly presented.

However, independent efforts do not always lead to the achievement of the goal and a positive result. Thus, there is a need to get something necessary from the subjects, such as government agencies and non-governmental organizations, that provide small groups with assistance (Müller & Pihl-Thingvad 2019). Those, in turn, use their opportunities to successfully overcome the difficulties faced by the unemployed and suicidal teenagers. At the same time, the efforts of two parties operating in the same direction are intensified. This action is aimed at stabilizing the weakened position of the object who applied for support.

Therefore, social support involves the mandatory development of the object, and this is one of the essential differences of this type of interaction from those defined by the concepts of social protection and assistance. Social support makes sense when it is aimed at acquiring the object of new knowledge, skills, abilities, providing a level of independence in overcoming difficult life situations.

Social Practice Skills and Services

The given case should involve all the social aid tools that are available for further implementation. All functions can be grouped by a variety of different characteristics, such as advocacy, empowerment, and social justice. Thus, suicide and unemployment support services include personal care, family therapy, and own life education. Furthermore, empowerment and social justice services should be focused on issues of a teenagers ordinary life in the family, ensuring proper care. The value of aid, as well as home-based childrens groups, is being increasingly appreciated, which makes it possible to reduce the number of children brought up in institutions, such as orphanages (Abrutyn & Mueller 2014). Some specific problems related to the competence of social services, for example, neglect of teenagers and mistreatment, are at the center of public attention.

To solve these problems, funds are allocated to research, develop and test programs, and provide recommendations for recruitment. There is a psychotherapeutic method, such as family therapies, which helps to eliminate these negative phenomena. It suggests the possibility of therapeutic effects on the teenager through his/her family (Thill, Houssemand & Pignault 2018). The task of this technique is to level the negative phenomena in the family, correcting the situation in which it is possible to change the behavior of both individual family members and the child.

Theoretical Concept

The major component of the theoretical approach is modernism. And related concepts. Modern social science, which studies society in all its manifestations, increasingly operates with such concepts as modernism and postmodernism. Their use in the most comprehensive and most diverse contexts sometimes makes it difficult to understand their specific meaning. However, it also makes it clear that this is about some total and pervasive phenomena in the life of modern society. The post-modernistic theoretical concept allows the given community to proceed with a prospective vision and advancement for the elimination of the issues of suicide and unemployment.

An integral characteristic of modern society is industrialization and mass employment. Industrialism is a phenomenon that engulfs the economic, social, political, and cultural spheres of society, and caused dramatic changes in them (Horsford & Sampson 2014). It results in communities acquiring a modern look and characterized by basic features. It includes orientation towards innovation, secular nature of social life, progressive development, democratic system of power and social relations, suicide education, the predominance of the employment, and the increasing role of human the factor. All these components are crucial for determining and identifying the causes of the small towns problem.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is critically important to understand the underlying factor and social elements influencing the high number of suicide occurrences in the given town. A thorough analysis should be made to implement a community capacity-building program successfully. Numerous features and properties of social frameworks have a substantial effect on the CCB realization. The action plan approach needs to be applied alongside support groups aiding the vulnerable members of the community. Social justice and empowerment practice skills should be used to demonstrate the opportunities for further development of the town. The modernistic and post-modernistic approach is the most plausible methodological tool to increase the awareness of the issue, which will allow people to realize the possibilities for assistance and psychological support. The unemployment rate can be reduced by expanding the social involvement in the problem due to the presence of sufficient funds.

Reference List

Abrutyn, S & Mueller, AS 2014, Are suicidal behaviors contagious in adolescence? Using longitudinal data to examine suicide suggestion, American Sociological Review, vol. 79, no. 2, pp. 211227.

Horsford, SD & Sampson, C 2014, Promise neighborhoods: the promise and politics of community capacity building as urban school reform, Urban Education, vol. 49, no. 8, pp. 955991.

Ife, J 2016, Community development in an uncertain world, 2nd edn, Cambridge University Press, London.

Kenny, S & Connors, P 2017, Developing communities for the future, 4th edn, Cengage Learning, South Malbourne, Victoria.

Müller, M & Pihl-Thingvad, S 2019, User involvement in social work innovation: a systematic and narrative review, Journal of Social Work, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 2-4.

Thill, S, Houssemand, C & Pignault, A 2018, Unemployment normalization: its effect on mental health during various stages of unemployment, Psychological Reports, vol. 1, no. 1, pp. 3-7.

Introduction

Suicide is an interesting topic for discussion. It is an enormous global problem that needs to be addressed because it raises numerous moral and social issues.

The Dynamic of Suicide

It is paramount to understand that the phases of suicidal behavior. The feeling of hopelessness is viewed as a primary starting point, and it often followed with a necessity to look for a possible solution to current problems. Suicide is regarded as an ultimate goal by some individuals, and a certain stimulus such as physical or mental pain is most likely present. Emotional condition and cognitive state play a significant role because such act is not easy to commit. This happens because one of the primary goals of the human brain is to protect an individual from any possible dangers, and a particular mental barrier needs to be broken before the person commits suicide. The reasoning behind such behavior is still actively researched by the scientists. Some of the theories offer evidence-based explanations. The earliest model was suggested by Shneidman in 1985. It views stress, physical pain and minor change in the human mind as a group of factors that could lead to such behavior if combined. The Interpersonal Theory is of one of the most well-known ones. The necessity to be accepted by society and feeling of being a burden to others are considered to be the primary causes of suicidal tendencies. Johnson and his colleagues thought that there is a connection between issues with the processing of information and certain aspects of appraisal systems. One of the most recent theories was offered by OConnor in 2011, and the scientist suggests that there are pre-motivational, motivational, and volitional aspects that predict such attitude. Overall, it can be seen that a broad range of factors that may influence such behavior such as cognitive, social, and others (OConnor & Nock, 2014).

Suicide and the Moral Dilemma

Moral aspects of such acts are discussed quite often. Some think that it should be a personal decision, and every individual should have the right to take his or her own life. However, it can be seen from the history that such attitude was not acceptable even in the ancient times. It must be understood that there are both internal and external factors that lead to suicide (Ogar & Agba, 2011). Furthermore, the primary goal of modern society is to create an environment where the number of such incidents will be dramatically increased. This topic is not easy to address from the moral point of view because the number of suicides is steadily increasing, and it is mostly caused by social factors. Also, there is an option that some individuals that suffer from an incredibly painful condition may be allowed to commit suicide. However, the general consensus is that it should not be acceptable. It is also imperative to make sure that the information about the patient stays confidential.

Characteristics

It may not be easy to detect suicidal behavior, but some aspects should be noted. Most individual who are susceptible to suicide are often sorrowful and prefer to be by themselves. Threats also should not be disregarded, and should be reported if possible. A change in personality is a worrying factor that should not be disregarded because it is likely that an individual intends to inflict self-harm. One of the recent studies has shown that the patients that have a history of self-inflicted injuries show suicidal tendencies much more often than others (Nordentoft, Mortensen, & Pedersen, 2012). The increased risks associated with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia should also be taken into account. Mentally ill patients require particular attention, and they should not be treated the same way as others.

Similarities between Suicide and Homicide

The biggest similarity is that the people who are likely to commit murder often have suicidal thoughts, and it reflects on their overall behavior patterns. It is especially worrying if one act of violence is followed by the other. It has to be said that some patient that have an increased risk of lethality would not even think about harming others, but there are numerous accidents where people that commit suicide injure others unintentionally. It needs to be said that the reasoning behind such actions is often quite similar because both suicide and homicide are viewed as ways to solve an individual problem.

Triage Assessment Form

Triage Assessment should be conducted if there is any suspicion of suicidal behavior. It helps to determine the patients estimated level of lethality, and the treatment should be based on the available data (James & Gilliland, 2012). It is also imperative to consider the fact that the answers may vary if the individuals mood changes. Also, a necessity to report the case may occur depending on the results and overall attitude of a person. Questionnaires may also be used to determine suicide tendencies. The results should be analyzed, and treatment options should be chosen individually. Health care providers should always evaluate the risks associated with suicidal behavior.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this is an incredibly serious topic that needs to be studied and discussed much more because it is one of the leading causes of mortality in the modern society. Individuals with increased risk of suicide must be provided counseling and group therapies. The central goal of such activities is to determine the core of the problem and to prevent such thoughts and behavior.

References

James, R., & Gilliland, B. (2012). Crisis intervention strategies (7th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.

Nordentoft, M., Mortensen, P. B., & Pedersen, C. B. (2012). Suicide. Current Medical Literature, 23(1), 25-26.

OConnor, R. C., & Nock, M. K. (2014). The psychology of suicidal behaviour. Lancet Psychiatry, 1(1), 73-85.

Ogar, J. N., & Agba, A. M. (2011). Suicide: its moral, legal and sociological analyses. Researchers World, 2(1), 94-102.

The high prevalence levels of suicidal tendencies have a huge impact on the health care institutions that deal with mental cases. These patterns must be monitored regularly since suicidal tendencies in various groups differ across time. Several measures can be utilized to curb teenage suicide. Community involvement is extremely imperative in curbing suicidal tendencies among African teenagers (Stanhope & Lancaster, 2010).

The family should be aware of the teenagers growth and development. This ensures that parents handle teenagers appropriately while they are undergoing various crises. It is also important to create life and group therapy meetings that can assist in solving teenagers concerns. Moreover, measures should be put in place to ensure immediate response to teenagers concerns. It is worth noting that teenagers undergo extremely challenging moments.

Levels of Prevention

Several measures have to be implemented to minimize suicidal rates among African teenagers. These measures should involve the communitys social structures. The social structures include the local administration, churches, families, neighborhoods, and individuals. Each social structure should be aggressive in addressing the root causes of teenagers concerns. Inspirational and motivational discussions have a significant impact on enhancing self-esteem and self-worth. Support structures should be devised to develop strategies for re-instilling self-worth in teenagers (Peltzer, Cherian & Cherian, 2008).

Primary Health Care

The majority of psychological or psychiatric circumstances and drug abuse or dependence are linked to escalated suicidal tendencies. Hence, there is a need for keen attention, which can assist in the early detection of signs and treatment. If suicidal tendencies among teenagers are detected early enough, it is possible to solve suicidal cases within the primary health care environments. In primary health care environments, culturally relevant and holistic treatment measures would be more effective. Therefore, treatments should ensure that traditional beliefs are considered. It is worth pointing out that African- fashioned strategies would be more successful. Knowledge from western countries should not be implanted on African teenagers.

Further Training and Education

Individuals who deal with counseling and advising teenagers should be supported through training and education programs. These programs are imperative in eliminating the myths that surround suicidal tendencies. Moreover, they assist in offering information concerning the early identification of relevant signs. The programs are useful in enhancing skills development concerning measures for assisting and supporting the victims and their relatives.

More importantly, these programs should target stakeholders such as religious institutions, legal experts, police, and government bodies. Moreover, parents and school management should be engaged during the advocacy stages.

Means Restriction

Universal evidence proves that curbing the availability and access to suicidal methods is exceptionally effective in preventing suicide. For instance, one of the most commonly used methods is overdose. To overdose himself, a teenager may use medications purchased from the over- the-counter, prescribed medications, household utilities, and pesticides. Other methods include jumping from high places, hanging, firearms, and grassing. There is also a close association between alcoholism, drug abuse, and suicide (Nies & McEwen, 2011).

Accessibility to these methods depends on the socio-demographic situation. There is a need for modification strategies to manage the distribution, manufacture, and sale of medications and drugs. Other measures include improving medical management of medicines, ensuring secure storage, controlling the use of guns, and creating awareness among community members.

Counselors must be informed of the factors that facilitate suicide among teenagers. Some of the factors include information about a certain method for committing suicide, accessibility to the various methods, peer pressure, cultural influence, negative self-esteem, and poor parenting. There is a need to comprehend these factors to ensure effective strategies.

Ways in which the Prevention levels can be applied to the Aggregate Health Concern

Primary health care can be applied at the aggregate health concern by ensuring that individual teenagers are informed about the significance of positive living. Teenagers should be advised to keep away from factors that can lead to suicide. In this regard, they should be discouraged from drug abuse, negative peer pressure, negative media, and idleness (Meel, 2003). In addition, education programs are strategic in awareness creation programs.

Teenage counselors should be engaged in training and education programs. Consequently, the counselor would be empowered to offer appropriate and adequate assistance to victims. When equipped adequately, counselors are in a better position to identify early warning signs. Moreover, they can offer the best advice to parents and guardians.

Theoretical Model

Interventions at the family and personal level are extremely significant. There should be a keen concern for the role of interpersonal issues and psychopathology in promoting suicide. In addition, action should be taken at the community level. Suicide prevention programs should focus on all the variables that contribute to suicidal tendencies. Community-based strategies can play a vital role in curbing suicide. The media can be extremely useful in clarifying perceptions and myths about suicide. Therefore, accountable media reporting is necessary. All relevant stakeholders should be included in the programs.

References

Meel, B. L. (2003). Determinants of suicide in the Transkei sub-region of South Africa. Journal of clinical forensic medicine, 10(2), 71-76.

Nies, M. A., & McEwen, M. (2011). Community/Public health nursing: Promoting the health of populations (5th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier/Saunders.

Peltzer, K., Cherian, V. I., & Cherian, L. (2008). Attitudes toward suicide among South African secondary school pupils. Psychological reports, 83(3f), 1259-1265.

Stanhope, M., & Lancaster, J. (2010). Foundations of nursing in the community: Community-oriented practice (3rd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby/Elsevier.

Introduction

Suicide is a major cause of death that has severe emotional and physical consequences on victims and their families. According to statistics, more than 1 million people kill themselves every year (James & Gilliland, 2012). In the last five decades, cases of suicide have increased by approximately 60%. It is a difficult issue to deal with because of its theoretical implications on religion, politics, law, and societal ethics. Ethical, moral, legal, religious, and philosophical discourses have not resolved the issue and have failed to come to an agreement as to whether suicide is acceptable or unacceptable.

The dynamics of suicide

Suicidal thinking emanates from sources that include loss of meaning in life, hopelessness, isolation, severe psychological pain, and unbearable suffering (Lester & Rogers, 2013). Psychological theories underlying argument is that suicide is primarily caused by weaknesses in personality and lack of proper coping skills. According to Freuds psychoanalytic theory, suicide is activated by an internal psychological conflict that emanates from exposure to prolonged periods of psychological stress (Lester & Rogers, 2013). On the other hand, developmental theory holds that individuals initiate self destruction due to their inability to cope well during various developmental stages that human beings undergo (James & Gilliland, 2012). Deficiency theory holds that mental inadequacies increase the risk of certain behaviors. Escapism views suicide as a way of evading unbearable situations that may be causing excruciating emotional pain. Karl Menninger expanded on Freuds theory and argued that the three main reasons why people commit suicide include guilt, revenge, and hopelessness (Lester & Rogers, 2013). Suicidal people crave death in order to terminate the guilt they harbor in their hearts especially for being burdensome to their families. On the other hand, they wish to kill other people as a way of expressing their anger. According to Edwin Shneidman, suicide victims experience great psychological pain, loneliness, and are obsessed with the idea that death is the best solution to their pain and problems (Lester & Rogers, 2013).

Suicide and the moral dilemma

Suicide is a very complex legal, moral, ethical, religious, and philosophical dilemma that has elicited heated debates among scholars for many years. It can occur in many forms namely unassisted, assisted, or facilitated (Lester & Rogers, 2013). Assisted suicide is viewed as moral in several societies because in certain cases, it is initiated by the patient as a way of escaping suffering (James & Gilliland, 2012). However, it has been described as unethical because many individuals make decisions under great stress and pain, which render them irrational. Medical practitioners are guided by certain principles that empower them to deal with patients. These principles include autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice. Practitioners are supposed to respect the decision of the individual, do the greatest good possible in difficult situations, prevent or minimize harm, and maintain fairness (James, 2007). In certain circumstances, it is okay for patients to request assisted suicide if their pain is unbearable or if it causes great financial, emotional, and psychological strain on their families (Lester & Rogers, 2013). Killing individuals without their consent is unethical and illegal.

Characteristics of people who commit suicide

People who commit suicide exhibit several characteristics that range from mental cues to communication cues. Mental cues include poor focus, severe depression, insomnia, loss of rational thinking, feelings of abandonment and isolation, hopelessness and helplessness, self-hatred, loss of concentration, irritability, and aggression (James, 2007). Other characteristics include unbearable psychological pain, distress, and the need to end pain or suffering once and for all (Lester & Rogers, 2013).

Similarities between suicide and homicide

Research has shown that many suicidal individuals are also homicidal. More than 30% of all homicide cases involve suicide because of the psychological and emotional disturbances faced by involved parties. On the other hand, countless cases of suicide are committed by individuals with histories of aggression, self-destructive behavior, and violence (James, 2007). Analysis of homicide and suicide cases reveal the presence of motives, hopelessness, use of lethal means, some form of psychological pain, and aggression or loss of meaning in life (James, 2007).

The use of triage assessment form in addressing lethality

The triage assessment form is used to address lethality by collecting information to reveal whether an individual is suicidal or not. It focuses on the feelings, behaviors, and thinking of the individual (Yeager & Roberts, 2015). Straightforward questions are asked in order to ensure that lethal ideation is not missed. For instance, it is more effective to ask an individual whether they have thought of suicide rather than ask them whether they have thought about hurting themselves. The assessment helps health workers to determine the severity of such cases by analyzing individuals responses (Yeager & Roberts, 2015).

Conclusion

Suicide is a complex legal, moral, ethical, and philosophical issue. It has been discussed in many fields without coming to a conclusive agreement. It is either ethical or unethical depending on the circumstances under which it is conducted. Suicide is characterized by severe depression, isolation, aggression, hopelessness, psychological pain, and feelings of abandonment. Homicide and suicide are similar in that individuals who commit them exhibit same traits of psychological instability and usually follow one with the other. A triage assessment form is used to analyze the thinking, feelings, and behavior of individuals in order to determine the severity of their situations.

References

James, R. (2007). Crisis Intervention Strategies. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.

James, R., & Gilliland, B. (2012). Crisis Intervention Strategies. New York, NY: Cengage: Learning.

Lester, D., & Rogers, J. R. (2013). Suicide: A Global Issue. New York, NY: ABC-CLIO.

Yeager, K., & Roberts, A. (2015). Crisis Intervention Handbook: Assessment, Treatment, and Research. London, England: Oxford University Press

Introduction

Suicide is when a person takes their life knowingly or intentionally. Death is one gravest consequence of suicide (Douglas, 2015). The following is paperwork covering the following aspects of the crisis of lethality.

The dynamic of suicide and the moral dilemma

Although there are several incidences where people who attempt suicide have been able to come out of it alive, it remains one highest cause of death, especially in the western world. However, there are several others that although have not been based on much, may be just as crucial. One of them is the effect that this act may have on the family of the person that commits the action. They are left not only bereaved for losing a member of the family, but also about whether they may have been the reason their family member took his life. The state also stands to lose when a person dies from committing suicide. Because of this is that in many cases, they use resources such as drugs for the action, which costs the government (Liem et al. 2011).

Other than this, there are several follow-up investigations that the state has to take part in to ascertain that this person indeed committed the action himself, and it has not been stage-managed by someone else. For this reason, although the will to die is the persons decision, in the event of their survival they are convicted of the crime. There are times however that they are found to have some somewhat psychological issue that made them resort to the act. Therefore, they may sometimes face counseling or rehabilitation (Luoma et al. 2014).

Characteristics of suicide

There are two key attributes of suicide. The first one is that a death occurs. This is of course except in the incident that the person survives. Here it will be known as attempted suicide (Bertolote and Fleischmann 2015).

The second characteristic is that the initiative to die had to come from the very person who is committing suicide. It means that a person is often not influenced by any outside source to commit the act but by internal forces. There are times that the actions of other people may be the reason they want to die, but they will still have to be the ones to start it (Douglas, 2015).

Characteristics of suicidal people

The first characteristic of people who resort to suicide is that they are going through insufferable psychological pain. This means that whatever is bothering them does not seem to have any other solution and thus they see it best to take their lives to end the suffering that they are going through (Bertolote and Fleischmann 2015). The second characteristic is that these people are trying to ensure that they are no longer conscious. They would like to end their consciousness for the same reason that has been named above; they no longer want the pain that they are feeling. That is why most of them will have often tried many other ways of ending their consciousness such as taking sleeping drugs. They reach the point of suicide because they realize that when they wake up from sleep, their problems are often still awaiting them.

The third characteristic of these people is that they are hopeless. They may have tried to seek solutions to the issues they are facing from other avenues, but these may have failed to yield any fruit. As a result, they think that if they take their lives, they will no longer feel hopeless because they will be incapable of feeling (Douglas, 2015).

These people also often have constructive thoughts (Luoma et al. 2014). This means that their spectrum of solving problems has often narrowed. These people are not capable of thinking beyond their noses or taking part in a problem-solving process that may be of benefit to them. Their narrow-mindedness which may have been caused by depression may handle them thinking dying is the only solution. Ambivalence is another characteristic of suicidal people. It means that; they are sure in their hearts that this is what they want and that it is the right decision to make. However, usually at the backs of their minds, they keep wishing that there could have been another simple solution to their problem that did not involve death (Liem et al. 2011).

Similarities between homicide and suicide

The first similarity is that a death occurs. In both cases, there is a person whose life is taken away. The difference is that for suicide the perpetrator is also the victim while for homicide these two are different individuals (Liem et al. 2011). The main similarity that connects these two kinds of murder is the motivation behind each of them.

Conclusion

It has been stated that suicide is a somewhat introverted form of homicide. A person that can take his life is also capable of taking the life of another person. The main component is that a person in both cases is willing to take a life. So the difference is that he will only look at taking his life as the solution while in the other case the person is driven towards taking that of another person.

References

Bertolote, J. M., and Fleischmann, A. (2015). A global perspective in the epidemiology of suicide. Sociology Reviews.

Douglas, J. D. (2015). Social Meanings of Suicide. Princeton: Princeton University Press.

Liem, M., Barber, C., Markwalder, N., Killias, M., and Nieuwbeerta, P. (2011). Homicidesuicide and other violent deaths: An International Comparison. Forensic Science International, 207(1), 70-76.

Luoma, J. B., Martin, C. E., and Pearson, J. L. (2014). Contact with mental health and primary care providers before suicide: a review of the evidence. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(6), 909-916.

Introduction

The problem of suicide within youth is one of the most burning problems nowadays. Originally, young people commit suicide because of their lack of self-confidence, lack of confidence in their future, and lack of life experience. Nevertheless, even if the key reasons are known, it is almost impossible to prevent suicides among youth, as additional factors often influence their decision.

Thesis Statement

Suicide is generally regarded as the third cause of death for young people between 10 and 24. (Lester and Lester, 65) The dramatic statistics reveal that three of the most popular means of suicide are firearms, suffocation, and poisoning. Originally, the reasons for suicide are various, nevertheless, the final cause is approximately common. Moreover, special risk factors and risk groups exist, as two young people behave differently in the same situation.

Analysis

The fact is that the final cause, which pushes youngsters to pull the trigger, is the feeling of hopelessness and abandonment. Thus, the most effective solution to the problem will be psychological help and assistance in solving the appeared problem. Such help will be definitely anonymous, as youngsters are often too vulnerable and do not wish to share such a problem with their friends, parents, and other surrounding people. (Pritchard, 67)

Even though special hotlines exist, few know of their existence, consequently, extensive advertisement campaigns should be held. Moreover, people should be persuaded that a solution really exists, they just need to become courageous enough for finding this solution, and implementing it in real life.

Risk Factors

Some people commit suicide unexpectedly for the surrounding people, while others are in the risk group. The risk group entails the following factors:

• Those, who already had suicide attempts
• Instances of suicide in a family
• Mental deceases
• Alcohol or drug affection
• Incarceration or any other stressful event (Miller and Eckert, 198)

Thus, the special monitoring system should be arranged for controlling the risk group and performing the corresponding psychological assistance and educational work.

How to Prevent

Originally, suicides are spiritually weak people, who do not have anybody to rely on. Assisting them in overcoming the problem, there is a strong necessity to encourage them of being strong, and resist the world, as life always tries us for strength, and all the challenges, which happen in life, can be overcome, independently of the circumstances.

If this does not help, the statement of the opposite should be resorted to. Weak people are like a virus on a planet, which weakens the entire organism, and cannot be tolerated. Thus, if you are weak  you are nothing. Thus, shame should be used in the argumentation strategy and self-compassion. Nevertheless, if these strategies do not work, the strategy of psychological shock may be resorted to. Famine, drought, floods, hurricanes, and other disasters should be shown. When people see all the miseries and horrors of the disasters, they feel that not all is lost. Finally, the histories of those who fight for life should be demonstrated. Injured people, deceased, with AIDS or cancer  those who wish to live despite all.

The only aim of the assistance should be the statement that life is worth living and that no one is abandoned. These are the key aspects of preventing suicide, especially among youngsters.

Conclusion

Despite the dramatic statistics and the frightening tendencies of suicide within the youth, the problem is solvable, as the main aim is to make them feel assistance, and persuade that not everything is lost.

Works Cited

Lester, David, and Gene Lester. Suicide: The Gamble with Death. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 2001.

Miller, David N., Tanya L. Eckert, and James J. Mazza. Suicide Prevention Programs in the Schools: A Review and Public Health Perspective. School Psychology Review 38.2 (2009): 168

Pritchard, Colin. SuicideThe Ultimate Rejection? A Psycho-Social Study. Philadelphia: Open University Press, 2005.

A life is one of the most priceless gifts given to a person, and it seems to be unnatural and truly egoistic for people to commit suicide and leave the world without any clear and justified reason. Though suicide is not the first reason for human death, it is still an important problem that takes more than 38,000 American lives annually (Suicide facts, 2015). The peculiar feature of this problem is that no one else is guilty for an individual decision to choose suicide as the only possible solution, just a person, who commits it. Many people cannot understand those, who prefer death to any other ways of solving problems. It seems to be so easy to end up a personal life and forget about problems. Suicide is the event that touches upon a number of people and influences the further development of the events; and it cannot be neglected as the problem to be solved and prevented among people of both genders and all age.

It is hard to understand why so many people choose suicide. Each person has a right to treat this problem in his/her way because it is wrong to create some standards and principles that have to be followed. Tough there are many facts and statistics about suicide, it is not appropriate to rely on the dry facts free from emotions when someones life and its ending are discussed. Of course, it is stated that men are more prone to suicide than women; young people are eager to make suicidal attempts, but people above 30 do complete suicide; and older people is the group that takes fewer suicidal attempts in comparison to people of other age (Suicide facts, 2015).

In fact, all these facts seem to be evident, credible, and definite until the problem of suicide touches upon a persons family. Everything is changed in a moment. The rules and principles according to which people have been living before turn out to be nothing. Someones life is over just because a person does not find powers to continue living. The reasons for suicide can vary, and people have to define the warning signs of suicide to have a chance to help a person and prevent a disaster. As a rule, people have to pay attention to those, who start talking about death and the inabilities to continue living and try to gather much information about different lethal means, who underline how hopeless or trapped they are now, who do not want to see the reasons for doing something, or who suddenly change behavior and contradict the norms chosen before. Besides, people with mental health problems can accidentally suicide; therefore, they have to be controlled accordingly.

One of the biggest mistakes made by people is their unwillingness to believe that they can do something to help a person with suicidal intentions. It is so easy to start talking with such person and try to explain that nothing is that terrible to end this life so soon. There are so many people, who lose their ways and make wrong impermanent decisions. They may be in need of some portion of understanding and support without even guessing about it. The main point is that all conversations of such type should be properly organized and began. It is wrong to start talking about how wrong suicide can be, etc. It is more important to understand what makes a person come to such conclusion and how priceless a human life is.

There are so many challenges people have to be ready for in this life. Still, none of them can make people believe that suicide is the only solution that can be made. A human life is amazing even if people think another way. By the way, if a person faces some problems, it is because someone else on the Heavens thinks that this person is ready for such challenges and can overcome them properly.

Reference

Suicide facts. (2015). SAVE: Suicide Awareness Voices of Education. Web.

Introduction

Suicide among adolescents remains a fundamental and pressing problem that requires urgent action to save more lives. This study includes the main factors that can influence the decision to commit suicide, the reasons leading to such thoughts, a survey reflecting the number of intimidated schoolchildren, and recommendations for a solution. However, in order to better communicate the research to the audience, it is necessary to take several activities to review the dissemination plan.

The Audience

First of all, this study is intended to attract those in whose power it is possible to influence adolescents. It includes school staff, including teachers, management, and child psychologists. Secondly, these are the parents of schoolchildren, from whom the victims of bullying also hide all their emotions and experiences. Finally, it is a group of researchers, psychologists, activists whose programs can be initiated at school for preventive purposes. The effectiveness of this study depends entirely on the distribution of the influence of the above people on each adolescent.

This study does not seek the attention of adolescents themselves. Firstly, it is written in academic language, which is rather tricky for schoolchildren to perceive (Prediger & Zindel, 2017). Secondly, very rarely are adolescents able to understand themselves against the background of troubles that lead to thoughts of suicide. It requires urgent but delicate help from the experts for whom this study is being developed.

The practice settings reflect the studys recommendations  it requires increased scrolling of adolescents in schools for possible threats that lead to suicide. Two reasons dictate the mandatory involvement of parents in such events. First, the child is always dependent on them, on their behavior, mood, statements, and actions (Hazen et al., 2021). Secondly, sometimes the parents themselves are the cause of suicidal thoughts in the child. Therefore external intervention in family relations  this is a very delicate issue  is needed since it endangers the lives of children.

End-user Needs

The data should be presented in scientific articles, accompanied by a graphic representation of the survey results and a table of possible solutions. Further work involves developing a unified method for scrolling in schools and the use of the practice of involving parents in the issue. New scientific works in this area constantly support the theoretical basis of the research. After a certain period, a review of new literature is carried out. Practical instructions for action in schools are also written in a formal language to preserve all the legal rights of both parties and the object of study.

The specific needs of the audience, based on practice, are either already known or have to be clarified in the practice of this study. The object of the research is schoolchildren who have their own childrens specific behavior. In practice, one main problem most often stands out  the silence about bullying and bullies due to shyness or fear of revenge (Royne et al., 2017). Therefore, practical activities aimed at continuing the study should consider the already known list of problems and have constant control, assessing the data obtained to identify new similar problems.

Publications and Presentations

The Journal of Psychology and Brain Studies and the Journal of Psychological Abnormalities often cover the problem of this research in their issues, and their articles are medical. However, there is also a social aspect in this problem, which describes the causes of suicidal tendencies, while medicine already describes the consequences. Therefore, more suitable journals for publication are the Journal of Adolescence and Child & Adolescent Psychology, in which social factors are considered in the foreground and psychological ones.

It is necessary to attend many upcoming conferences of a general scientific direction  child psychology  but on different topics to cover more information for expanding the research. For example, the Mental Wellness and Positive Mental Health Conference, held in July in Toronto, will help to understand the determinants of positive dynamics of thoughts and emotions. This conference is required to collect information about the social factors that cause the development of suicidal tendencies.

The School, Educational and Child Psychology Conference, taking place in August in New York, will highlight the application of research practice methods in the educational environment. Furthermore, again, it is necessary to raise such sensitive issues as bullying, cyberbullying, the impact of psychological problems on student performance, and all kinds of stressful conditions in education. Finally, a medical look at the knowledge gained about the causes will be possible at the Cognitive and Behavioral Psychology Conference, taking place in Los Angeles at the end of October.

Conclusion

The study will develop its main directions, saturate them with experience in related fields and similar works, and evaluate the experience gained from conferences or feedback from publications. Practical integration into schools is mandatory since individual cases will help identify trends and, accordingly, methods of dealing with the causes leading to suicide. This audience analysis is an integral part of the research, helping to trace the chain of people needed to complete the assigned tasks and determine the channels and language used to achieve the best result.

References

Hazen, K. P., Carlson, M. W., Cartwright, M. L., Patnode, C., ColeMossman, J., Byrns, S. & Osofsky, J. (2021). The impact of childparent psychotherapy on child dependency court outcomes. Juvenile and Family Court Journal, 72(1), 21-46.

Prediger, S., & Zindel, C. (2017). School academic language demands for understanding functional relationships: A design research project on the role of language in reading and learning. Eurasia Journal of Mathematics, Science and Technology Education, 13(7b), 4157-4188.

Royne, M. B., Rademaker, C., & Kelly, G. E. (2017). Powerful bullies and silent victims in cyber space: The darkness of social media. In The Dark Side of Social Media (pp. 33-48). Routledge.

Introduction

Human beings are social entities who are usually attached to specific societies where they live, learn, and grow. They are equally accustomed to the norms and values upheld that are specific to that society. For that matter, communities are vital to the support of human life as they are a basic functionality or fabric for the successful formation of societies. Teenage suicide in South Africa is on an alarming rise based on recent studies hence the need to address the issue effectively. (Caruso, para.1).

Definition of terminologies

Several terminologies come to mind in tackling social problems and issues.

Community

Several definitions of a community have been defined by various scholars. A community may be defined as a group, with no predetermined size, whose members live in a specific locality share certain cultural and historical events. It is simply a group linked by a common understanding and beliefs. A community may be further defined as a religious or social group that exhibits similar characteristics that make them distinct from the larger society (Clark, 2008 ).

Aggregate

An aggregate, unlike a community, is more specific or narrowed down. Inlay mans terms, an aggregate refers to the total of entities combined, or elements within a group that have been classified together based on specific features. In this case, aggregate refers to a collection of entities or elements (who are individuals) from a community who possess certain features (ranging from physical, emotional, etc). Classification of features may vary from age groups, health status, citizenship, gender, and many more (Nwankwo, para 2).

Relevance of these terms

The people of South Africa represent diversity in tribes and they are spread across various parts of the country with distinct communities that share customs. The aggregate, in this case, is the teenage group. The aggregate is made up of individuals who share certain characteristics which bind them together. The aggregates imply that they may experience similar events in life and many times, due to peer pressure, deal with circumstances by heavily relying on advice from teenagers.

Differences between a community and an aggregate

Aggregates are made up of individuals. They are specific. Many aggregates make up a community, so to speak. A community is all-inclusive. In nursing, it is important to understand the relevance of aggregates and communities to facilitate the promotion of proper healthcare and eliminate the possibility of illnesses in identified groups.

Christoffels framework

Christoffel has suggested a framework that promotes a better understanding of public health policies and advocacies including the execution of strategies. The stages include the information stage, strategy, and action stages. The findings in one stage are continuously adjusted depending on what is encountered in subsequent stages. To find the correct balance between the conceptual framework and the aggregate, it is important to conduct a proper needs assessment and define the important outcomes that one expects to achieve.

Application of Christoffels Framework

Taking the aggregate as teenagers in South Africa, several aspects based on the three-stage conceptual framework may be identified. In the information stage, it is vital to undertake information gathering on this aggregate group.

Some of the areas that can be addressed include defining areas where teenage suicide is prominent within the country, explaining reasons for the occurrence of the social tragedy, and drawing up summaries of catalysts and factors that lead teenagers to commit suicide. Background checks of families to indicate any dysfunctionalities are equally noted. Furthermore, information on current practices to alleviate the occurrence of teenage suicide must be identified and well documented. This implies that proper research must be conducted to address the challenges of social issues (Haslam & McGarty, 2003).

In the second stage, strategy is to be defined to address the teenage suicide issues. The strategy should take into consideration the aggregate, the teenagers, and the community at large. The strategy should be owned by all the members of the community to ensure smooth implementation If the community has a sense of ownership over the strategies, action, and implementation will likely be smoother. Some of the strategies for implementation include offering counseling in schools and churches, holding community focus groups to address issues, and carrying motivational talks to reinforce the sanctity of lives in teenagers.

Action refers to the implementation stage. Implementation requires the active participation of all parties involved. This means that the people who spearhead the project must work in close conjunction with the community to address the challenges, like teenage suicide, that it faces at hand. An implementation may also require the provision of funding and setting up of control and monitoring structures to support proposed strategies. Follow-up plans should also be taken into consideration to ensure sustainability and adequate achievement of goals.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be argued that each individual belongs to a certain aggregate that they identify with it in different ways. Aggregates in turn form the community. Addressing social health issues requires an understanding of aggregates by defining the distinctness of each group.

References

Caruso, K. Suicide on the Rise in South Africa. Web.

Clark, M. (2008). Community Health Nursing: Advocacy for Population Health. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Haslam, A.S & McGarty, C. (2003). Research Methods and Statistics in Psychology. London: Sage Publications Ltd.

Nwankwo, J, (2009). Difference Between Community and Aggregates. Web.

Introduction

Suicide is one of the most debated social issues across the globe. Though various views have been raised about the different reasons why people commit suicide, no specific reason has been suggested and empirically verified. Despite that sociologists are not in particular interested in the reasons why people commit suicide; its ultimate causes lie in social matters. On the other hand, sociologists are rather interested in social forces and attribute that trigger individual to attempt some unusual social behaviors like committing suicide among others.

Statement of the Problem

It has been revealed that there is a very significant relationship between suicide and social life aspects, rendering suicidal acts to be partly incorporated in many social matters. Many scholars have argued that suicide is both a social and psychological act among individuals. Meanwhile, it has not been clearly differentiated the exact cause of suicide among individuals between psychological and social factors.

Social Aspects of Suicide

According to Haaland Schaefer (2011), suicide is closely related to group life, in which failure to conform to certain social life aspects may set off individuals to commit suicide. This forms a basis for how people should understand each other in social contexts, and subsequently treat each other fairly. As reported by Hawthorn (2009), many people in society consider people who commit suicide as being insane. Though this myth may prevail in most social contexts, the truth remains that many people who commit suicide have serious social problems in their lives but not necessarily being mentally sick. With the rise of communism, individuals tend to act as groups. When an individual incurs interpersonal losses like a socio-economic crisis, they may tend to consider their life as being of lower rank compared to those of other people, which may subsequently set off such individuals to commit suicide. As a result, it is quite important for individuals to understand each other to enhance co-existence in a social context.

Further, Bertolote & Leo (2004) suggests that the perception individuals will have toward others is one of the major causes of social inferiority, which subsequently makes them attempt suicide. It is important to note that, some people usually perceive themselves as genetically inferior to their colleagues. As a result, such individuals consider their genetic make against their wishes and anticipate modifying their bodies through cosmetic surgery. When such artificial practices fail or even lead to more severe conditions, the individuals consider themselves misfits of society which may deem them consider commit suicide (Haaland Schaefer, 2011). On this basis, suicide seems more related to social life rather than only to individualized personalities and perceptions of being inferior with respect to other people.

Further, Hawthorn (2009) argues on the perception of individuals as being naïve or unable to perform sufficiently normal social activities is a factor leading to committing suicide among the people. In this argument, such individuals start perceiving themselves as being unworthy and guilty, resulting in the eventual development of depression conditions which subsequently trigger such people to commit suicide. Though repeated thinking of the individuals undeserving position results in the consequent development of long-range mental disturbances, the root cause of such conditions is strongly embedded in their social life.

Psychological Aspects of Suicide

According to Haaland Schaefer (2011), prolonged deep thinking of social inferiority such as intrapsychic cause of major depression, psychiatrists are ultimately the remedy to such situations. Particularly, psychological incapacities among people are a potential cause of suicide once the condition grows deep in their mind, then subsequent suicide committing will result. With regard to Bertolote & Leo (2004), an unsuccessful ambition for self-actualization among individuals is considered one of the causes of suicide. Social life is ultimately considered one of the most powerful determinants of how thoughts of committing suicide emerge. Alienations in relationships disturb social emotions, which may make an individual consider committing suicide to avoid any further interaction with his/her colleague. Quite importantly, the development of major depression among such individuals results in their consideration of committing suicide.

Meanwhile, some people may make suicide threats to draw the attention of society. As Haaland Schaefer (2011) notes, the development of suicidal ideas among individuals may be attributed to social profiling or being poorly understood by other people. It has been a common myth that people who make serious suicidal threats are only in pursuit of social attention and care. When such people are socially incorporated into social systems, they end up conforming back to their lives as if they were not planning any suicide act. According to Hawthorn (2009), the feeling of committing suicide is just a semi-permanent state of the mind, which can be easily erased through social skills.

Conclusion

Generally, suicide has been revealed as a serious act among people who may feel unfit or unable to conform to the standards of society. Though suicide acts may be considered personal attributes, their cause roots deeply in social aspects of life. More specifically, the ultimate cause of suicide is largely based on social factors other than only individuals minds. Particularly, social disturbances have been revealed as one of the most significant causes of mental ailments which may trigger an individual to commit suicide. On this basis, social interests and beliefs form the utmost realm of suicidal attempts among individuals.

References

Bertolote, J & Leo, D. (2004). Psychiatric Diagnoses and Suicide: Revisiting the Evidence. Crisis, 25(4): 147-155.

Haaland, B. Schaefer, R. (2011). Sociology: A Brief Introduction. Illinois: Kijiji International Limited.

Hawthorn, K. (2009). Suicide. Lancet, 373(96): 1372-1381.