The Major Factors Contributing To Suicide Among Teenagers
According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. But who does this impact? When filtered by age group, suicide becomes the second highest killer of teenagers. Specifically, teenagers, as a subgroup, are more vulnerable to suicide due to several factors that contribute to the high risk in the United States. Additionally, according to research, suicide is highly impacting the teenage community in the United States at alarming rates as compared with other groups from other countries. American teenagers are seriously at risk concerning suicide due to the high rates of depression which may stem from migratory loss of culture among immigrant teens, unrealistic body image ideals popularized by the media, and constrictive expectations of gender roles that may cause young people to repress their feelings and/or get help when they need it the most. Only by examining these issues can we begin to address the serious challenges facing American teenagers and start to take steps to prevent their suicides.
Suicide is defined as taking one’s own life, often as a result of depression. Depression is a serious common illness that affects how you feel, the way you think and how you act in a negative way. While being treatable, depression gives you feelings of sadness and makes you lose interest in doing things that you once liked. Causing a lack of concentration not only at work but at home, depression can create many physical and emotional problems. In a research article by Pew Research Center, it states, “In 2017, 13% of U.S. teens ages 12 to 17 (3.2 million) said they had experienced at least one major depressive episode in the past year, up from 8% (or 2 million) in 2007, according to a Pew Research Center analysis of data from the 2017 National Survey on Drug Use and Health” (Geiger & Davis, 2019). This study shows that, over the course of a decade, the rate of depression increased 5%, which is a significant amount. This means that the problem is getting worse, not better, over time, and it is causing people to wonder what is making life more difficult for teenagers.
One of the less-explored topics that may lead to teenage depression and suicide among immigrant teens is migratory loss of culture. Migration is the process of moving a person or group of people to settle often in a different country or place as a way to escape violence and/or poverty, educational purposes or for jobs and business opportunities; it can be temporary or more often permanently (Urban Dictionary, 2011). Research has shown that migrants and minorities have a much higher risk at suicide and suicidal behavior than the rest of the population. A study conducted by Sage Journals found that among a sample of 70 immigrant Latino adolescents, 75% indicated low socioeconomic status and one-fourth of the adolescents were experiencing critical levels of depression and suicidal ideation. In the same study, they also examined the behaviors of recently immigrated black youth and found that African and Caribbean groups had high rates of delusions and hallucinations and previous intended self-harm (Lipsicas & Mäkinen, 2010). This comes to show that adolescents from minority groups, such as Latino and African-American, who have migrated to the United States are more likely to experience suicidal ideation and attempts in comparison to Caucasian, Anglo-American, Asian-American, and other immigrant youth. This is important as it showcases that even as people migrate in look of a better life, it can actually cause harm, most importantly to the minority groups.
Contributing factors for the attempts of suicide on minorities group includes language barriers, worrying about being separated from their families, loss of statuses and not having health care. Results shows that specific migrant populations and ethnic minorities show a higher risk of suicidal behavior than the native population as well as a higher risk of deaths by suicide. Another significant cause of depression among teens is the unrealistic body image ideals popularized by the media. Since smartphones were built, they have been taking over a huge part of teens lives. Youth revolve their life around these gadgets, that often end up affecting them negatively. Research has shown that teenagers, specifically females, are more vulnerable to getting plastic surgery before the age of 30. Many young ladies when coming from another country and are exposed to American culture and ideals, they tend to find differences within their culture and the Americans about beauty ideals. Similarly, in a study by Child Mind Institute, the author, Ray Jacobson, states, “Several students who have died had projected a perfect image on social media — their feeds packed with inspirational quotes and filtered images showing attractive, happy kids who seemed to excel with minimal effort. But behind the digital curtain they were struggling emotionally”. Teens who have created this online unrealistic persona will more likely become depressed and feel frustrated at the fact of how they portray themselves to be through the media and who they actually are. By doing so, they lower their self-esteem and begin to negatively compare themselves to the people around them, such as peers, friends, and more often, celebrities. A doctor from the Child Mind Institute states, “If you practice being a false self eight hours a day, it gets harder to accept the less-than-perfect being you really are” (Jacobson, 2018). Teenagers feel that if they portray themselves in social media in a way where they know they won't be criticized or made fun of, such as looking thinner, they will gain a sense of belonging; even if it can potentially cause them harm in the long run. As one grows older, the amount of freedom to do things increases. With that freedom, some of these teenagers may continue to hide their imperfections from the media. This can cause them to become very private with their life and can also contribute to the lack of disclosure of personal situations with the people around them.
Situations such as cyberbullying or harassment can occur in the media, and if not spoken about, can make it difficult for families and friends to notice if their loved one is in need and/or seeking help. A third contributing factor to depression, leading to suicide, are the constrictive expectations related to gender roles that may cause young people to repress their feelings and/or not get help when they need it the most. In the case of men they are taught from a young age to hide their feelings and be ‘tough’. Being sensitive and expressing any pain to anyone, is not in their book. Many people expect all men to be dominant, strong, and not show any vulnerabilities, however, internalizing feelings or moods can have negative results. Internalizing the way one feels can become very toxic to the mind, and it causes men to think of or commit suicide. Studies show that only 35 percent of men saw a mental health practitioners. It shows that men who mostly look up to masculine ideals are most likely to not seek help when are emotionally in need. Many people believe that suicide rates within the female community are higher than those in the male community, however that is not the case. It has been found that three times as many Canadian men kill themselves every year than women do in Canada. Men have the highest suicide rates which means they should and need to be exposed to more suicide prevention programs, as they are more often dying from suicide than from anything else such as car accidents. As the societal meaning of being a man is constantly being brought up and showcased through the media, young boys and grown men have become afraid to express the way they feel. They are taught to believe that vulnerability, is considered weak, and not talking about their feelings makes them much more of a man. Cultures and societies are mainly responsible for the redefined definition of masculinity, often called “Machismo”. Men are characterized to be independent, have assertiveness and power. As younger generations look up and grow up with these ideals, they won't be allowed to speak up upon any emotions that they have, so when they aren't spoken about these emotions will start building up which can lead to a crisis point.
Along with this research, there are other sources that offer alternate points of view on the suicide epidemic. For example, some might say that thoughts of suicide or a suicide attempt is a ‘cry for attention’. They believe that the person’s reasoning for having negative thoughts or pursuing harmful behaviors is just to be the center of attention; however, fail to realize that wanting attention does not necessarily mean wanting to be the star of the show. According to HealthyPlace, a website that provides mental health information from experts and everyday people dealing with mental health issues, people who attempt suicide and are ‘crying for attention’ are usually in desperate seeking of love and/or healthcare attention, such as mental health help, but don’t know how to get it on their own (Tracy, 2016). In the same article, the author, Natasha Tracy, gives advice on what should be done when encountered with someone who is believed to be suffering just for attention. She states, “This is not merely a ‘cry’ for attention… it is a scream that says, ‘I am in more pain than I can bear, please help me’. And you need to listen to that. You need to give that person all the attention you can. You need to get that person help – or more help – to make that life-risking pain subside”.
Suicide is a scary thing, not just for the person doing it, but for their loved ones as well. Therefore, instead of assuming that someone isn’t serious about taking their life away, it is important to treat the situation seriously and that one listens and pays attention to any signs of possible endangerment. To recap, suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States of America. Especially for teenagers, the suicide is the second highest cause of death. American teenagers are at a high risk of committing suicide because of depression, media, and conservative gender roles. Depression is an important common illness that is a leading cause for suicide because of its affects like negative behavior changes, low self-esteem, and damaging mental thinking. A low investigated subject among depression caused suicide is immigrant teen’s loss of culture. By migrating teens constantly, they are not able to have a stable environment which results in negative and self-depressing behavior. The body-images that media portrays to society daily shows teens that if they do not look alike to a certain image that they are not attractive or must change their body in order to please others. As a result, teens are forced to try to adapt to the media’s perspective and if they cannot do this, they begin to develop depression. Gender roles cause young individuals to repress their emotions and defers them from seeking help from others. Placing teens into stereotypical emotional boundaries causes them to have toxic thoughts that progresses into the act of suicide.
Although others may say that attempting or committing suicide is just a ‘cry for attention’, plenty of research shows that the causes of their deaths or attempts stems from social media, depression, and gender roles. In all, there are teens that are in need of help and positivity to motivate them through their struggles like self-image or depression.
