The Teenage Suicide Epidemic

What would make a bright, energetic 16 year old girl commit suicide? Worst of all, choosing a method that involves tying bedsheets to her bed, tying a knot around her neck and throwing herself out a window. This sounds like something from a horror movie, but it's exactly what a student at Mentor High School did sometime between school letting out on Thursday, October 2 and school starting on Friday, October 3, 2008.

She was a good friend of my stepson and she had dated his best friend. I never met her but was told that she was pretty, smart and always smiling. She was the kind of girl who could always make you laugh. She had a lot of friends and everyone at Mentor High School, including her teachers, adored her. Now she's gone and her family, friends and an entire high school is asking why.

I did a little research after hearing of her death and found some very disturbing information on teen suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for teenagers. Even though we don't often hear about teenagers taking their lives, it's a very real problem. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 25 suicides are attempted for every one that is actually completed. Teenage girls are more likely to make a suicide attempt, but boys are more likely to actually die. Risk factors include: family history; drug or alcohol abuse; mental, physical or sexual abuse; and last but not least--mental, emotional or physical disorders.

Teens are good at keeping secrets from adults, but usually tell their friends everything. This is the reason it's so important to have a non-judgmental, open relationship with your children. If your teen feels he or she can trust you, they are more likely to tell you when their friends are having problems and you can decide how to intervene. I don't know what was going on in this young woman's life but there's a good probability that some of her friends knew and didn't tell a trusted adult. Teens feel that their problems are unique and that most adults don't understand what they're going through.

As I write this I'm remembering my own teenage years. At age 15 I thought that I was in love and wanted to get married. My parents intervened and wouldn't let me see this young man anymore. I thought they had no clue what love was and they didn't understand me. I was sure that I was so much smarter than they were. Being young and emotional I thought I'd die without him, but somehow I survived my first broken heart. This is all normal and a part of growing up. I never contemplated suicide, but it.'s easy to see how some kids do. When I was 12 in the mid 60's, a boy who lived 6 houses away committed suicide. His parents found him hanging by a rope in the garage. At 14, he was a happy-go-lucky kid who never seemed depressed. We never did find out what drove him to suicide. I still wonder what was going on his life that made him think that killing himself was better than living.

The only way to help prevent tragedies like this is to educate yourself on teenage suicide. Knowing the warning signs and where to get information and help is the first step. I found 2 websites that have a lot of useful information. They are: www.teensuicide.us and www.nami.org.