Teen Suicide: Causes and Measures - Research Paper Example

Teenage suicide is largely caused by psychological frustrations that, if detected early enough and solved, can prevent deaths. Huddle and Schleifer explains, based on notes left by suicide victims, that a negative ‘self-perception’ among the victims and social frustration are among the major cause of the tragic actions. Breakups in relationships and being rejected by society are other factors. Similarly, inevitable separation from friends and family, sustaining a major injury or defect, or causing such on another person are also cause teenage suicide. Great social or economic liability to other people has also been identified with frustrations leading to teen suicide. Even though these forces can overwhelm the youths, proper efforts through resources such as time, counseling, and direct financial assistance may offer hope against suicide (Huddle and Schleifer, p. 9, 10).

Preventive measures against teen suicide also support the investments as effective control measures. With the adoption of domestic strategies through parental roles, parents can effectively save their children from committing suicide. One of the most effective social measures against teen suicide is listening to the youth. Being around to provide for the teens is not sufficient if the parent cannot understand the teen’s needs. The diverse causes of teen suicides also identify non-financial reasons as causes. As a result, parents need to make extra efforts to understand what their children are going through for possible early detection and control of suicide. This calls for psychological knowledge for parents, guardians, and teenagers, and identification of psychology-based education in controlling suicides (Tandem, p. 1).

The need to employ any necessary resource against teen suicide is also identified by the statistics that reveal suicide as the third highest factor that costs the lives of the youths. This means that teen suicide is as serious an issue as chronic and contagious diseases that attract immense monetary and time investments for control. Similar calls can therefore be made over teen suicide with the same agenda of saving lives. Educating parents on the identification of potential signs and possible measures such as seeking counseling is also recommended practice by the nursing profession (Lippincott and Wilkins, p. 86). Though Simon and Hales identify significant investments in education through “psychiatric treatment” and money in “media reporting,” the minimal attained level of success in controlling suicide implies that more of these efforts are necessary (p. 594).  

Though significant resources have been invested in attempting to control teen suicide, an indication that no price can be put on life, the limited level of success means that more effort in education, funds, and time should be invested in controlling the teen killer.