Does Mental Health Play a Role in Adolescent Suicide? (Essay Sample)

Does Mental Health Play a Role in Adolescent Suicide?
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Does Mental Health Play a Role in Adolescent Suicide?
There is no single or simple explanation as to what drives a person to commit suicide. According to a report published by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), suicide rates have skyrocketed between 2007 to 2017. The report indicated that there was a fifty-six percent increase in suicide over the ten years. Therefore, according to the data, the increase rate of adolescent suicide is to be expected as the national rate has also increased. Although suicide rates have increased in all demographics, suicide among adolescents has outdone all other demographics CITATION Haz11 \l 1033 (Hazen, Goldstein, & Goldstein, 2011).
This is an alarming situation considering that mental health experts have little to offer in terms of an explanation of the staggering revelation. Psychologist argued that many complex issues are going on in society that contributes to suicide. The topic is a complex one, and there isn't enough data right now to narrow down the exact causes of suicide, screening or prevention methods. Although correlation does not equal causation, mental health experts argue that some risk factor including a history of mental illness and substance abuse put adolescents at risk of taking their own lives.
A history of mental illness and substance abuse are among the leading contributors to adolescent suicides. Depression is a form of mental illness classified as a mood disorder CITATION Hoe15 \l 1033 (Hoertel, et al., 2015). The nerves in the brain do not touch, rather there transmit information to one another through neurotransmitters and chemical in the brains. If there isn't enough chemical in the brain, the message is not transferred correctly from one neuron to the next. Depression occurs as a result of chemical (serotonin) imbalance in the brain CITATION Nag18 \l 1033 (Naguy & AlAwadhi, 2018). Patients living with the above disorder often experience completely different thoughts during and after the depression state. People with depression often report feeling unfamiliar with a happy past, emotion and physical pain can often be unbearable. Patients suffering from depression often make irrational decisions to end their pain; this includes suicidal thoughts. The patients, in this case, do not desire death, rather they feel it is the only way to end their suffering.
Bipolar disorder is a mental illness that causes usual shifts in moods. A person suffering from bipolar disorder can go from manic depression to high energy and activity states. Although the condition is manageable through medication and therapy, bipolar disorder can lead to poor job performance, damaged relationships, poor school performance and suicidal thoughts in extreme state of the symptoms. There are two states of bipolar disorder, a patient can either exhibit mania or an extreme case of depression. Both states are dangerous, in the manic state, patients suffer from hallucinations and delusions which may lead to bodily harm or causing harm to others. In the depression state, patients believe that there are ruined and cannot recall past happiness or think of future happiness. Patients are afflicted by suicidal thoughts as a means of ending their suffering CITATION Hoe15 \l 1033 (Hoertel, et al., 2015).
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health disorder that affects individuals who have witnessed a traumatic event that involves physical harm or threat of physical harm. The above disorder is common among the veteran community. Other demographics that suffer from the disorder include, a victim of childhood abuse, terrorist attack survivors, natural disasters, sexual or physical assault survivors, etc. Although not everyone who undergoes a traumatic event develops PTSD, individual suffering from the disorder is more at risk of committing suicide compared to other demographics. Patients report feelings of guilt, shame, angry outbursts, insomnia, frightening thoughts, vivid flashbacks, fear and feeling numb emotionally CITATION Haz11 \l 1033 (Hazen, Goldstein, & Goldstein, 2011). Therefore, patients suffering from the disorder are more likely to consider suicide as an escape.
Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder that affects how the patient thinks, acts, perceives reality, expresses emotions and how they relate to others. Schizophrenia can be managed by using medication. Some of the symptoms of the disorder that makes its risk factor to suicide include hallucination, delusion, lack of pleasure of everyday effect, and movement disorders CITATION AlJ15 \l 1033 (Jurdi, K., Swann, & Mathew, 2015). Schizophrenic patients with delusions and hallucination symptoms are more at risk of committing suicides as there are unable to separate reality and make-believe. Accidental suicides are more common in schizophrenic patients as compared to intention suicides.
A mental disorder like stress, depression, and anxiety common among the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community (LGBT). The feeling of alienation of the LGBT community is a common trigger of adolescent suicide among this community. According to data, adolescents in the LGBT community are four times more likely to attempt suicide than any other demographic in the USA alone. Considering that the US is among some the few countries with active laws against discrimination of the LGBT community, the statistics are alarming CITATION Haz11 \l 1033 (Hazen, Goldstein, & Goldstein, 2011). Adolescents in the LGBT community have to deal with numerous challenges due to their sexual identity. Family rejection is one of the risk factors that drive these adolescents to suicidal thoughts. Also, adolescents have to deal with stigma from society which can lead to isolation and cases of depression.
Adolescent personalities have to be taken into consideration while determining the warning signs of suicidal adolescents. According to researchers, although personality differs from one adolescent to the other, adolescents consider suicide during an acute crisis as a reaction to conflict with peers or parents CITATION Hoe15 \l 1033 (Hoertel, et al., 2015). Even though acute crises are common among adolescents, those that consider suicide have some characteristic in common. They may have a long history of low esteem, they believe no one cares, they are depressed, suffer from alcohol and drug abuse, and some of them have a long history of social problems in school and at home.
According to research, nine out of ten individuals who attempted suicide had a history of mental illness or substance abuse. Adolescents exhibiting warning signs of suicidal thoughts which can be observed and used to device preventive measures. Sign of suicidal thoughts in adolescents includes changes in eating and sleeping habits due to stress and depression. Suicidal adolescents exhibit an unexplained burst of anger, violent tendencies, and being rebellious to authority figures. Drastic personality change which may include sexual promiscuity and vandalism is also a sign of suicidal thoughts CITATION Rob03 \l 1033 (Robert A King, King, & Apter, 2003). Adolescents who have previously suffered a traumatic episode are witnessed to be agitated, restless and displaying panicky behavior. Finally writing or talking about suicide even in a joking manner was highlighted as a warning sign of suicidal thoughts among adolescents.
The risk of suicides among adolescents varies greatly with sex, religion, and race. In the US, suicide among ethnic minorities is lower compared to white Europeans. Suicide is greatly influenced by cultural and religious backgrounds. Although there is a variation of the suicide rate among ethnic minorities, research suggests that suicidal thoughts were more common for those living and can trace their immediate ancestry to the US than immigrants who could trace their ancestry to Latin, African and Asian continents CITATION Rob03 \l 1033 (Robert A King, King, & Apter, 2003). Some cultures and religions condemn suicide as an immoral act in a society that should be not be used as an escape regardless of the circumstances.
Hence, suicides are more common in liberal societies that practice alternative religions to traditional religions and are more accepting of outside cultures CITATION Sha15 \l 1033 (Sharma, Nam, Kim, & Kim, 2015). Religious and society morals play a crucial role in shaping the morals of an adolescent. In societies where outside cultural believes are welcome and assimilated into a community's culture, adolescents are likely to pick up on these believes leaving behind their own. In the US for example, there are many communities each with its cultural contribution to the main-stream culture, furthermore the presence of cults that advocate for suicide as religious rite can be a negative influence on young adolescents who don't know better.
Every culture has both internal and external pressure that vary suicidal tendencies in that particular culture. For example, in Asian cultures, the loss of a job, a title or social standing is considered a traumatizing ordeal that can lead to suicide. The shame can keep those in need from asking for help. Latin adolescents are more like to attempt suicide than their white counterparts. Ethnic minorities can feel isolated in communities and can easily turn to self-destructive behaviors CITATION Rob03 \l 1033 (Robert A King, King, & Apter, 2003) and toward suicidal thoughts. Research further suggests that ethnic minorities are more at risk of committing suicides due to societal pressure than native communities. Adolescents in ethnic minority communities have to deal with meeting their parent expec...