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

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.

lizery wrote: »

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.

As a young person I was suicidal at many points. Somehow I survived, which is mildly suprising to me.

...........

A quick snap shot of my teenage years ... which of these hardships should I have learned to cope with better?

- homelessness at 15 (proper sleeping on the streets and squats strewn with dirty syringes homeless not sleeping on a mates couch)

- rape. More than one. More than once. Many times in fact.

- untreated mental illness (bipolar disorder)

- an abusive relationship with an 11 yr my senior, heroin addicted (read desperate junkie), paranoid schizophrenic man

- etcetera etcetera

... you have no idea what 'hardship' a person, young or old, has endured before considering, attempting to or succeeding in taking their life.

..................

For what it's worth even now as a 35yo mother of two, full time working registered nurse with a loving partner and stable life, I still struggle some days not to become a statistic.

Perhaps I never learnt to cope with hardship, right?

I am so sorry for your rough years. Amazing work on "surviving" and making a life for yourself. Keep your head up high and continue fighting every day.
Hugs!!

lizery wrote: »

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.

As a young person I was suicidal at many points. Somehow I survived, which is mildly suprising to me.

...........

A quick snap shot of my teenage years ... which of these hardships should I have learned to cope with better?

- homelessness at 15 (proper sleeping on the streets and squats strewn with dirty syringes homeless not sleeping on a mates couch)

- rape. More than one. More than once. Many times in fact.

- untreated mental illness (bipolar disorder)

- an abusive relationship with an 11 yr my senior, heroin addicted (read desperate junkie), paranoid schizophrenic man

- etcetera etcetera

... you have no idea what 'hardship' a person, young or old, has endured before considering, attempting to or succeeding in taking their life.

..................

For what it's worth even now as a 35yo mother of two, full time working registered nurse with a loving partner and stable life, I still struggle some days not to become a statistic.

Perhaps I never learnt to cope with hardship, right?

Clearly you did - and my guess is that you knew how to fight, the strength to overcome and the will power to do what's necessary to survive. I don't know you but I'm glad you're here to share your story with me.

Having said that, I was a teenager once just like you. I may have had different experiences with hardship and adversity than you, but I had them. Most people do. But the difference (and this is where you and I might very well be similar) is that we lived in different times. And back to the original topic, which is that the suicide rate is at an all-time high at THIS point in time, ight now - not 20 years ago (in your case) or 35 years ago (in my case).

Social media, government, schools, societal trend in general - all responsible. The mandate that everyone is special, everyone must be accepted regardless of how they act, what they do, or what they say. Those who dare speak up and say anything to the contrary are labeled "intolerant". Everyone gets a trophy, and everyone passes. Any idiot can become an overnight YouTube sensation. Everyone has a free pass nowadays.

Well, that's great if the ultimate goal is to make everyone "feel good" - but it doesn't prepare young kids & teens for the reality they'll eventually have to contend with. Some will get slapped with reality in their teens; some in their 20s. Clearly, we're doing something wrong - these were just my personal feelings on the topic.