Teenage Suicide in South Africa: A Survey Tool Design

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Seeing an old person passing away is tragic; it seems that this person has just started getting the taste of life and finally gained the wisdom that people lack so much when making important choices in their lives, when his person suddenly has to leave. However, there is a sight even more tragic; that is the sight of a young person dying, since (s)he might have accomplished so much, and yet (s)he is no more.

There are millions of things that cause young people’s death, starting with road accidents up to terminal illnesses. However, according to what statistics says, suicide tops this sad chart. The existing evidence says that depression is the key reason for the young to commit a suicide. Therefore, by analyzing the environment in which modern young people live and checking it for the factors that can possibly induce suicidal attempts, as well as checking the young people’s reaction towards these factors and specifying the depression rates among the present-day youth, one can possibly make the suicidal rates among young people drop considerably.

The above-mentioned can be achieved by analyzing the students answers to the following question of a survey: “What do you do when you feel that everything goes wrong and that the entire world is up against you?” Since teenagers are apt to exaggerate their problems and, hence, feel depressed (Sebastian & Martin, 2010), the given question is crucial in determining the suicide rates.

Another issue that needs to be addressed badly is whether the target audience is susceptible to the behavioral tendencies that occur among the young people of the specified age. To be more exact, it is necessary to figure out whether suicidal attempts are becoming an absurd “trend” among the young people. It is important to keep in mind, though, that suicidal attempts can be turned into a trend for various reasons.

For example, a suicide might be considered a romanticized manifestation of despair in response to unrequited love; however, the given example is not the only possible suggestion. Another example of how a suicide can become a trend is the death of an idol of the youth culture, either natural one, or violent one, or a suicide itself. The latter case can be described as following the example set by the “idol.” That being said, it is important to stress that the second element of the survey tool is going to be represented by such question as “What do you think is wrong with the modern society?”

Though the given question does not exactly lead to defining the possible examples of suicide that a teenager might be exposed to, it allows to pin down very precisely what the surveyed person thinks about the society in general and its trends in particular. Being socially active is a very trustworthy indicator of a teenager’s social engagement and, therefore, a good way to test whether the participant of the survey is prone to the influence of the possible suicidal tendencies.

In addition, creating a personality cult, adolescents might actually consider the use of drugs and other hazardous substances as an integral part of belonging to the mini-society in question, which will most likely lead to substance abuse. According to what Finkleman (2011) says, many cities feature such services as the organizations “preventing tobacco, drug, and alcohol use” (169).

The third tool, which the given survey is going to consist of, will be the definition of the stress level rates among the youth, as well as defining the key factors that predetermine this stress. According to the data provided by Bushy and Napolitano, stress plays a great role in shaping people’s behavioral patterns, influences their mood and even defines their life choices. When stress pushes people too far, they are under a threat of a mental breakdown; taking into account teenagers’ unstable mood triggered by chemical and biological processes in their body, one does not need to be a psychic to realize that teenagers are often under too much pressure.

Once the latter becomes too high, the suicidal attempts become a very tangible threat. Therefore, as Bushy and Napolitano explain, it is necessary to check whether the target group has enough resilience to withstand the daily stress. What the authors define as resilience is actually the “the ability to withstand many forms of stress and deal with several problems simultaneously without developing health problems” (Bushy & Napolitano, 2010, 386).

The last, but definitely not the least, the fourth tool is going to help analyze the external factors shaping the suicidal rates among teenagers is the urban factor. Though also obviously relating to the range of stress factors, the given issue stands out of the rest of the elements of daily life that contribute to creating a stressful setting, since the urban life presupposes dealing with life problems on a much faster pace. Urban life also involves a number of environmental issues (Sebastian, 2010), which, along with the fact that in cities, people have considerably less personal space per capita, adds to the setting, making it even more stressful.

With that said, it is clear that the fourth element of the survey tool is going to handle the aspects of urban life and the impact of the related complexities on the youth. In addition, the given element of the tool can also help check the statement concerning the stressfulness of city life as opposed to a calmer, more laid-back attitude of the county dwellers. Hence, it can be concluded that the fourth element of the survey tool is going to be used to analyze the factors that the youth cannot change and, therefore, is being constantly exposed to.

The rural life, however, also has its negative aspects that make the suicide rates among youth rise. As the recent research says, the morbidity rates are higher in the rural area, along with the rates of chronic illnesses and “unique health risks associated with occupations and the environment” (Bushy & Napolitano, 2011, 403).

While the first to elements can be shaped somewhat, and even the effects of popular culture that appeal to the lowest common denominator can be driven to nil with the correct approach, the influence of urban life is completely unavoidable. It is also important to keep in mind that social life of a city dweller is much more demanding in terms of political and social activity, which can be considered as another factor influencing teenagers’ health negatively, i.e., making them even more constrained. Therefore, the fourth element of the survey tool is going to address the physiological factors that enhance depression in teenagers and, hence, make the latter commit a suicide.

Reference List

Bushy, A. & Napolitano, M. (2010). Rural health and migrant health. In Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J. (Eds.), Foundations of nursing in the community (400–418). New York, NY: Elsevier.

Finkleman, A. W. (2011). Health care system. In M. A. Nies & M. McEwen (Eds.), Community/public health nursing (5th ed.) (pp. 163–179). New York, NY: Elsevier.

Sebastian, J. G. (2010). Vulnerability and vulnerable populations: An overview. In M. A. Nies & M. McEwen (Eds.), Community/public health nursing (5th ed.) (pp. 386–399). New York, NY: Elsevier.

Sebastian, J. G. & Martin, K. S. (2010). The nurse in home health and hospice. In Stanhope, M. & Lancaster, J. (Eds.), Foundations of nursing in the community (560–576). New York, NY: Elsevier.

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Teenage Suicide in South Africa: A Survey Tool Design

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