Suicide
Dear Doctor,
As a parent I am scared to death by the statement that suicide is a leading cause of death in the young.
I am wondering what a parent can do to prevent suicide. Are we studying it?
Parental Panic
Dear Panic,
Suicide is being studied, and we are learning more about it.
We know that in the year 2000 (According to the American Association of Suicidology) about 29,350 people took their own lives.
There are an estimated 734,000 attempts at suicide each year with one in twenty five being successful. Of those who ended their lives 3,994 were between the ages of 15 and 24.
Elderly populations accounted or 5,306 of the total. It is estimated that 5 million living Americans have tried to kill themselves. The United States is not a world leader in suicides. We fall somewhere in the mid range.
In fact, our rate appears to be decreasing somewhat. For example, in 1950 13.2 per 100,000 deaths were from suicide. In 2000 the rate was 10.7 per 100,000.
As to the young among us, in 1999 more teens and young adults died from suicide than from total deaths from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, and chronic lung disease combined.
Therefore, your question is germane to the role of any parent. Dr. M. David Rudd, professor of psychology at Baylor University in Texas, is also president of the American Association of Suicidology. He has spent his career studying the subject. According to Dr. Rudd isolation and loneliness are principle issues for the young.
He refers to four "cognitive themes" he has gleaned from studying suicide notes of people who have attempted or been successful at ending their lives. These themes are:
- Being unlovable "I am worthless".
- Feeling helpless "I cannot solve my problems".
- Poor tolerance for stress "I cannot stand the way I feel".
- Self perception as a burden "Everyone would be better off if I were dead".
The fourth statement is the most fatal and frequently seen in notes of people who succeed. As parents we need to teach that, in human experience, all emotional pain is transitory.
Joy and survival in life still depends upon ancient verities such as faith, hope, and especially love. When we are truly connected to others, all pain is easier to bear.
Tags: american association of suicidology, baylor university, Dr. M. David Rudd, leading cause of death, loneliness, m david rudd, poor tolerance, principle issues, self perception, suicide notes, young adults
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