Please be aware that this article may not be suitable for everyone due to the topic that is going to be discussed. If you or someone you know has talked about contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
National Suicide Prevention Week is this week from the eighth to the fourteenth of September. Suicide is a tough topic to talk about. I think a lot of people shy away from this topic because of the fact that it is tough and a little awkward to talk about, but I also think that it is a topic that should be more openly discussed about so people are more aware of suicide.
Earlier this year, the American Medical Association published in their journal a report over suicide saying that suicide has become the second ranked leading cause of death for people from the age of 15 to 24. With over 6,200 people dying from suicide in 2017, it falls just short of the leading cause of death for people aged from 15 to 24, which is motor vehicle accidents with 6,697 lives claimed.
Researchers say that suicide might be connected to the opiod crisis. This is due to the fact that added stressors are linked to addiction. At the moment, researchers also do not know all the causes leading to suicide, but are working to pin point more factors of suicide.
Statistics show that in 2017, 11.8 deaths per 100,000 adolescents for people aged from 15 to 19. From 2000 to 2017, there is almost a 4 person difference with only 8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2000.(Rates can be found by looking at Chart 1 below) For 20 to 24 years olds suicide rate was 17 deaths per 100,000 with an increase from 2000, which was 12.5 deaths per 100,000 people. (Rates can be found by looking at Chart 2 below)
Some prevention measures that the CDC recommends is to limit access to prescription drugs at home, look for dramatic changes (Changes in sleep, social relationships, etc.), and changes in substance use. Changes in substance use could also mean the use of social media. While social media can lead to depression and anxiety, it can also be used to help others contemplating suicide and can help loved ones pick up signs from the person.
If you or someone you know has talked about contemplating suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. It is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Chart 1
Chart 2
Main Source :
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/suicide-among-teens-and-young-adults-reaches-highest-level-since-2000
No comments:
Post a Comment