Suicide rates at a 40 year high among teenagers and young adults

More dysfunctional families? Higher academic standards and more stress?

Also, at least in my experience, suicides come in waves and some get the idea when a loved one, friend or peer does it or if someone famous does it.

Nobody can pinpoint it for sure but my suspicion is that it's a multitude of factors:

1. The tendency for teenagers' amygdalas to override their not-yet-fully-developed prefrontal cortexes
2. The increase in information fluidity (social media is a part of this) gives rise to a constant state of comparisons and thus unrealistic expectations in life
3. Increase in quantity of social interaction (via social media) but decrease in quality, leading to weak and unstable social structures
4. Media sensationalization leading to the normalization of extreme behaviors such as bullying and suicide erodes traditional social norms that portray such acts as taboo

Avocado_AS5 wrote: »

Help available for mental health issues at least in the U.S. is not a priority. There are people who seek help and cannot get it and feel like this is their only way out. It's an atrocity and breaks my heart.

A friend of mine took his own life this past Sunday by hanging himself in a hotel room. He had many who loved him and tried to help. He sought help. But the system is broken.

Oh my gosh. I'm so sorry.. hugs.

Avocado_AS5 wrote: »

Help available for mental health issues at least in the U.S. is not a priority. There are people who seek help and cannot get it and feel like this is their only way out. It's an atrocity and breaks my heart.

A friend of mine took his own life this past Sunday by hanging himself in a hotel room. He had many who loved him and tried to help. He sought help. But the system is broken.

I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost a friend to suicide almost 2 years ago. It's heart breaking for the children, families and friends.

fjmartini wrote: »

bodwomon wrote: »

Nobody can pinpoint it for sure but my suspicion is that it's a multitude of factors:

1. The tendency for teenagers' amygdalas to override their not-yet-fully-developed prefrontal cortexes
2. The increase in information fluidity (social media is a part of this) gives rise to a constant state of comparisons and thus unrealistic expectations in life
3. Increase in quantity of social interaction (via social media) but decrease in quality, leading to weak and unstable social structures
4. Media sensationalization leading to the normalization of extreme behaviors such as bullying and suicide erodes traditional social norms that portray such acts as taboo

Where does the role of the parents come into play? Other than your first point, everything else seems to be an issue of them spiraling down because they continuously feel like a victim. I agree at their point of suicide they've developed a deep mental illness but there seems to be plenty of time for intervention before that.

Uhm they're all distinct points? Read Layard for 2 and Durkheim for 3

Family is covered under 3 re social structures changing

Maybe more human kindness and less social/political division

This will be an unpopular position but I happen to feel it's the truth - the more we alllow the younger generation (and anyone for that matter) to believe:

- there's no consequences for their actions (it's always someone else's fault);
- that the "feelings" of the individual are more important & carry more weight than what's important for they rest of society;
- that it's everyone else's responsibility to take care of you, and not you're responsibility to care care of yourself

They are doomed, unfortunately. If there's an increase in suicideits because there's an increase in the number of people who've never learned how to cope with adversity and hardship.

Suicide is sad at any age. I (late 20's) am on antidepressants because I became suicidal, so am not surprised about the rising rates of suicide among youth.

I think the issue in the U.S. is that a lot of young people feel isolated from others/opportunities and with social media, compare their lifestyles with others around the world from a young age (when they have little say in their living situations). This is a cultural issue in my opinion (poor public transit, many small towns without places for kids to do much ie. even malls are closing left and right, huge divide between rich and poor and a non-homogenous culture, not especially safe in comparison to most developed countries etc.). Pair this with the internet, where kids see both wealthy Americans and cultures that seem (and are) more exciting and safe (i.e. Europe, Asia).

Even though the U.S. is a lot more open to acknowledging mental illness and treating depression with medications, many people dismiss depression (which can lead to suicide) as "teenage angst" in a lot of young people.

I lived in Japan (suicide capital of the world) and would say the reason for Americans ending their own lives seems to stem from different reasons than Japanese. Japan is the near opposite of the U.S.: very safe, extremely homogenous, lots of malls still around, very little class/wage gap, excellent public transportation, nearly non-existent recreational drug use.

I think that until we reform our infrastructure and tackle the economic and cultural divides among American youth, the suicide rate will continue to rise as they grow up seeing other (better) ways of life on social media. Until then, kids will turn to escapism, and sometimes (sadly) suicide.

I love Americans (I am one too lol), but the lack of modernization in this country is the reason I'm leaving. It's too depressing even for me, and I'm a college graduate from a wealthier/more progressive part of the country; I can't imagine how it must feel for teenagers and children who have never known a world without social media/global comparisons.

I've lived in Japan, Chile, and China. (Central and Southern) Chile is about on-par with the U.S., Japan stagnant but at least safe with excellent public transit/lots to do for all ages. The average Japanese city/town blows the average American city/town out of the water in pretty much every regard. Major Chinese cities are about 20 years ahead of us. If the U.S. continues the way it's going, I can only imagine suicide rates continuing to rise.

EZDUZIT68 wrote: »

This will be an unpopular position but I happen to feel it's the truth - the more we alllow the younger generation (and anyone for that matter) to believe:

- there's no consequences for their actions (it's always someone else's fault);
- that the "feelings" of the individual are more important & carry more weight than what's important for they rest of society;
- that it's everyone else's responsibility to take care of you, and not you're responsibility to care care of yourself

They are doomed, unfortunately. If there's an increase in suicideits because there's an increase in the number of people who've never learned how to cope with adversity and hardship.

I agree with your list, everyone needs to learn this.

Though it's often people who have had constant adversity and hardship, that nobody is equipped to deal with, that feel like this is the only option.