Westlake Word

In recent years, the world has unfortunately seen a large rise in the amount of children and teenagers who end their lives early by committing suicide. Suicide, now the second leading cause of death in young adults, has always been present - but never at this rate. 

 

It is very unfortunate to behold, for it is not just the age of the victim (children), but that we must understand the level of desperation they face to attempt (and succeed) to take their own life. 

 

Finding information on suicide is difficult; there are hundreds of small decisions that could ultimately lead someone to take his/her life with his/her own hands. However, research has found two common factors that can be linked to the rising numbers of suicide in teens: social media and the opioid crisis.

 

The argument that cell phones are destructive, and that social media and cyber-bullying can push teens into self-harm has been made numerous times. But, mental health experts and scientists have now pinpointed why exactly this happens and how overlooked the issue of social media’s influence on teenagers truly is. According to an interview with John P. Ackerman, clinical psychologist and coordinator of suicide prevention at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, “‘Kids now never disconnect,’ he said. ‘They’re connected 24/7. They go to bed with their smartphones. It may be cyber-bullying. It may be envy. Maybe many things are going on here.” 

 

This is important to take note of given the fact that a clinical psychologist acknowledges the fact that suicide attempts do not stem from a singular problem or issue. There is likely no single factor that makes someone kill themselves; but if someone, especially a teenager with emotions that are still developing as they compare themselves to others, is constantly faced with picturesque images of their idols, they would likely feel inferior (inadvertently by their idols, more directly by peers), they could definitely want to attempt suicide as an escape.

 

Melissa Healy, in the LA Times article, “Suicide Rates for U.S. Teens and Young Adults Are the Highest on Record, said, smartphones and social media can disrupt one's mental health: “But as smartphones and social media use have become ubiquitous, there’s been a fundamental shift in the way teens spend their leisure time. Activities that benefit mental health — including sleep and face-to-face interaction with family and friends — have declined as American youths have deepened their engagement with digital media.” 

 

As previously stated, it is near impossible for a single factor to determine whether one will or won't commit suicide; but, assuming there are other ongoing factors as a teen slowly loses their mental health and ability to socialize with others, they are at an increased risk to commit suicide. 

 

When someone is feeling suicidal, they tend to put the blame of past mistakes and conflicts on themselves, and feel that by taking their own life away, they are removing a burden from themselves and others. By not having healthy conversations with people around them (and simply seeing that other people care for them and want to help), a teenager is more likely to experience these suicidal thoughts. 

 

While the article, “U.S. Youth Suicide Rate Reaches 20-Year High,” written by Dennis Thompson recaps the points made earlier, it also shines the spotlight on the opioid crisis and how that can lead to suicidal feelings in teens. He says, “He said the opioid epidemic might be fueling part of the rise, and social media is another likely contributor.”

 

America is struggling with a (seemingly unsolved) opioid crisis. Whether it is the mal-distribution of pain medication among teenagers or an excessive use of heroin by parents, opioids have been destroying and devastating families. A child who grew up in a household where their parents would violently abuse drugs and possibly die of overdose is very likely to kill themselves, as they have no parental guidance to turn to in a time of need, and their lives have been screwed up and destroyed since inception. 

 

According to “Parental Opioid Use Increases Risk for Child Suicide Attempt,” by Brent DA, “Children of parents who took opioids compared with the children of matched controls had suicide attempt rates of 11.68 vs. 5.87 per 10,000 person-years.” 

 

It is obvious (albeit tragic) that teenagers who grow up in such a disrupted and dysfunctional household will experience suicidal thoughts and may unfortunately carry out such thoughts, but the fact that teenagers themselves are involved in the opioid crisis is often overlooked. 

 

Healy also highlights this issue: “The increased risk for heroin or opioid users to commit suicide is really staggering.”

 

Research has uncovered that the deaths of many teens (initially thought to be by accidental overdose) is very likely suicidal, and that teenagers who are opium addicted are at a higher risk for suicide than teens who aren't.

 

Although all of the aforementioned information is not shocking, it is depressing, and concurrently enlightening. With suicide awareness being raised, alongside mental health advocacy, perhaps innocent and impressionable young teenagers will have the chance to get the help they need and live the lives they deserve.

 

Works Cited

Brody, Jane E. “The Crisis in Youth Suicide.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 2 Dec. 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/12/02/well/mind/the-crisis-in-youth-suicide.html.

 

DA, Brent. “Parental Opioid Use Increases Risk for Child Suicide Attempt.” Healio, 4 June 2019,www.healio.com/psychiatry/suicide/news/online/{ec446252-ccc2-4e83-85d2-80b77d9fb85b}/parental-opioid-use-increases-risk-for-child-suicide-attempt.

 

Healy, Melissa. “Suicide Rates for U.S. Teens and Young Adults Are the Highest on Record.” Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 18 June 2019, www.latimes.com/science/la-sci-suicide-rates-rising-teens-young-adults-20190618-story.html.

Thompson, Dennis. “U.S. Youth Suicide Rate Reaches 20-Year High.” WebMD, WebMD, 18 June 2019, www.webmd.com/parenting/news/20190618/us-youth-suicide-rate-reaches-20-year-high#1.