Spotlight on teenage suicide during this prevention week
TEEN Suicide Prevention Week, starting February 17 aims to create awareness of the prevalence of teen suicide in our society, as well as the prevention strategies that may be employed to alleviate the problem.
According to the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (Sadag), 9% of all teen deaths in South Africa are due to suicide, and suicide is the second leading cause of death among the 15 to 24-year age group. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 79% of global suicides occur in low- and middle-income countries, such as South Africa.
Worldwide, suicide occurs about every 40 seconds and close to
800 000 people commit suicide every year.
The possible causes of suicide in teens are varied and many. One key factor is the presence of a mental disorder, most notably depression.
While all persons suffering from depression do not commit suicide, most persons who commit suicide are depressed.
Other reasons, particularly as it pertains to teens, may include social isolation and loneliness, trauma, exposure to bullying, abuse and neglect, difficulties stemming from poverty and abuse of substances.
The current-day access to and preoccupation with social media can exacerbate issues around loneliness, rather than alleviate it.
Social media has also become a platform for bullying that has an almost unimaginable reach: bullies can hide behind anonymity on social media platforms and take bullying to a level that was not previously possible.
The omnipotence of social media also means that the bullied teen has nowhere to hide, as it were – whatever hurtful things are said to or about them are out there for hundreds of peers to see and even add to, and often these words are also inextinguishable and permanent on the internet.
What should also be understood clearly is that the human brain only becomes fully developed, at a literal physiological level, at around 25 years of age.
The area of the brain that completes full development last is the pre-frontal cortex, the rational part of the brain.
This means that many teens do not yet possess the rationality and other cognitive mechanisms to cope with stressors of whatever nature effectively.
According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM 5), signs to look out for to identify the possibility of depression in a teen include depressed or sad mood, which in children and adolescents may manifest as irritability, decreased interest or pleasure in activities that were once enjoyed, significant weight loss or weight gain, observable restlessness or slow movement, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness and inappropriate guilt, decreased ability to think or concentrate, and recurrent thoughts of death, suicide, or actual suicide attempts.
We may see decreased academic performance in school, social withdrawal, and even acting-out behaviours in depressed teens. It is important for parents, teachers and other guardians to get help if they observe five or more of the abovementioned signs of depression for a two-week period or longer.
Early and effective intervention and treatment for depression may prevent the risk of suicide.
We need to keep in mind that suicide can also be a very impulsive and sudden act which is not necessarily preceded by a history of mental illness or a known prolonged period of distress. This may typically happen when the teen experiences what in their inner world may feel like an insurmountable “crisis”, such as academic failure, break-up of a romantic relationship, rejection or the experience of trauma.
There are specific signs that a teen may be at risk of suicide. These include, but are not limited to, talking about wanting to commit suicide, either directly or indirectly (an indirect expression might be “my family would be better off without me”); giving away possessions;, talking as though they are saying goodbye or going away; attempting to acquire means to commit suicide such as weapons or pills; desperation and hopelessness; expressions such as “life is not worth living”, presence of depression or another mental illness; and excessive drug and/ or alcohol use. However, the single strongest predictor of suicide risk is previous suicide attempts. Never dismiss a prior attempt as having been a “cry for help”.
A “failed” suicide attempt is a serious indication that a person is in a lot of distress and needs psychological help and quite likely may be a real suicide risk in future.
Should a parent, guardian, or teacher notice any of the aforementioned warning signs for depression, suicidality, or know of environmental factors that may cause serious distress for a teen, it is important to reach out to the child and to try to open the lines of communication. A distressed teen, concerned parent or guardian can find immediate assistance by contacting:
Sadag (SA Depression and Anxiety Group) on 0800 456 789.
LifeLine on 0861 322 322
“The omnipotence of social media also means that the bullied teen has nowhere to hide