About 30,000 people die each year in the United States from suicide. The act of killing oneself is one of the top ten causes of death in the country. One recent study claimed that as many as 60% of suicides were committed by people who were severely depressed at the time. The majority of people who attempt suicide say they don’t really want to die. They just don’t know any other way to end their emotional pain. Suicide attempts are cries for help.

Adolescence is basically a time of intense emotional growth and changes. Insecurity is rampant and depression is fairly common. Therefore it is not surprising that suicide is the second leading cause of death for this age group. Teens may view suicide as a temporary way to end their pain. They may also view it as a way to get love, revenge, or a way to manipulate their parents. Others may even view suicide as romantic or glamorous (after all Cleopatra did it). Sometimes they don’t seem to understand that suicide is permanent. The results of one survey showed that more than 14% of teens had seriously contemplated suicide.

According to W. R. Spence, M. D. (1992) if one member of the family commits suicide, the entire family is at greater risk. This may partly be due to the fact that children tend to imitate their parent’s behavior. The children may see suicide as an acceptable way to handle problems when life becomes difficult. Another reason may be biological. Some depression may be caused by an insufficient amount of certain brain chemicals. This problem would tend to run in families.

Risk Factors for Suicide: