The increased risk of suicide in young girls

Is Your Child or Teen Suicidal?The increased risk of suicide in young girls presents problems forprevention efforts. In the past, when three out of four suicides were male,suicide prevention focused on boys and young men. Prevention efforts alsofocused on firearms, which had been the most common method of suicide.The September issue of the Journal of Pediatrics carries an updatedreview of teen suicide by Benjamin N. ShainMD, PhD, of the American Academyof Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and colleagues from the American Academy ofPediatrics committee on adolescence.”Unfortunately, no one can accurately predict suicide, so even expertscan only determine who is at high risk,” Shain and colleagues note.Examples of high-risk teens include:• Teens with a plan or recent attempt to commit suicide• Teens who say they are going to kill themselves• Teens who talk about killing themselves and who become agitated orhopeless• Impulsive teens who become profoundly sad and who suffer conditions such asbipolar disorder, major depression × Depression
Depression /de·pres·sion/ Depression is defined as a mental condition characterized by feelings of severe despondency and dejection, typically also with feelings of inadequacy and guilt, often accompanied by lack of energy and disturbance of appetite and sleep. Statistics has shown that diagnosis of depression is growing at a very dangerous rate. Globally, depression affects over 350 million people of all ages. Depression has been linked to other negative health outcomes, such as obesity, heart disease, and stroke. Compared to those not affected by depression those who face it are more likely to be unemployed and have a higher chance of divorce. Most people that suffer from depression do not seek care or attention. Since this is a global issue, many efforts are made to help those who are suffering depression. It is important for those that face depression to find help so that they can overcome this plague that millions of people face.
, psychosis, or substance use disorders Signs of major depression include:• Cranky mood• Preoccupation with song lyrics suggesting life is meaningless• Loss of interest in sports and usual activities• Failure to gain normal weight• Frequent complaints of physical illness such as headache and stomachache• Excessive late-night TV watching• Refusal to wake for school in the morning• Talk of running away from home, or attempts to do so• Persistent boredom• Oppositional and/or negative behavior• Poor performance in school or frequent school absences• Recurrent talk of or writing about suicide• Giving away toys or belongingsSigns Not Always ObviousUnfortunately, absence of high risk does not necessarily mean low risk. Kidswho seem to be at low risk, but who joke about killing themselves or whorepeatedly seek treatment for physical complaints, “may be asking for helpthe only way they can,”Any teen who suffers significant loss of function or distress due toemotional or behavioral symptoms should be closely observed, referred for amental health evaluation, or both.A brief psychological intervention may be all teens need if they have aresponsive and intact family, good relationships with their peers × Peers
Peers /peer/ Peers are the people of which a person associates. Peers have a strong influence on person’s thoughts, actions, and will also play a key part in how a person develops and will determine who a person will become. Peers always have an influence but occur especially in a person’s youth. Parents should make it a priority to inform children of how important their peer group is on them. Discussions about this topic can help to prevent children from choosing friends that could lead them down dangerous paths. Peers who involve themselves in negative behaviors will begin to oppose school and parents and can also influence others in the peer group to do the same. It is important to support the finding of positively influential peers for children. However, peers can also help uplift others to strive to become better and want success. Those are the peers you should surround yourself with and also your children.
, hope for thefuture, and a desire to resolve conflicts.Hospitalization and long-term psychiatric care may be needed for teenswho:• Have made previous suicide attempts• Show a strong intent to commit suicide• Have serious depression or other major psychiatric disorders• Abuse × Abuse
Abuse /a·buse/ Abuse is defined as the improper usage or treatment of an entity, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices: crimes or other types of aggression. Abuse is a negative and real threat that many people face. Child abuse is a problem that is continually occurring. The main types of child abuse are physical abuse, sexual abuse, and neglecting. When these types of abuse occur in a home, they often go unnoticed. The stress and fear of the abuse will usually cause the victim to remain quite about the problem. It is a difficult problem to find out and assess, but there are solutions. It is important that people are aware of signs of abuse. They may include unexplained injuries, changes in behavior, fear of going home, changes in eating and sleeping and lack of personal care or hygiene.
alcohol × Alcohol
al·co·hol n.noun a colorless volatile flammable liquid that is the intoxicating constituent of wine, beer, spirits, and other drinks, and is also used as an industrial solvent and as fuel. When ingested, alcohol can be a deadly intoxicant. Teens and adults alike are more prone to make fateful and negative choices while drinking alcohol. A deadly intoxicant, alcohol has destroyed and ripped apart the lives of millions and yet, remains to be the drug of choice of troubled teens nationwide. Teenage minds are not yet able to fully appreciate the dangers that coincide with drinking. When drunk, teenagers commit and act out heinous activities which they would normally never commit or act out. Teenage pregnancy, driving under the influence, fighting and other consequences are more likely to occur while teens drink. Parents of teenage boys or girls who drink occasionally or struggle with the addiction of alcohol, need to seek immediate treatment for their son or daughter.
or drugs• Have low impulse control × Impulse Control
Impulse Control /im·pulse/ /con·trol/ Impulse control is defined as the power to influence or direct one self’s behavior or the course of events when a sudden strong and unreflective urge or desire to act arises. Impulse control deals hand in hand with self-discipline and is a respectable quality to possess. It is the ability to resist a temptation, urge or impulse that may harm one-self or others. Impulse control is psychological and may be the single most important indicator of a person's future in terms of a number of friends, school performance, and future employment. Studies have shown that those with better impulse control and self-discipline have found more success in life. In specific areas such as academics, wealth, and also marriage compared to those that have poor impulse control. Those who can wait for larger rewards even when faced with immediate smaller rewards show the ability of impulse control.
 If a teen has made a suicide attempt, it’s crucial to keep up continuouspsychological care after hospital discharge. It’s important to continuetreatment of underlying psychiatric illnesses, to remove and to lock up potentially lethal medications. Getting the teen to agree to a “no suicide” contract has not been proven effective.