American Teen Suicide Rate Rising
Do we need any more proof that we are in a recession? After 15 years, the teen sucide rate has risen in America instead of dropped, according to a new study published in the September 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association. It took a while to crunch the numbers, so the study cuts off in 2005, meaning that the teen suicide rate rose during 2004 and 2005. It is still unknown how high the rate is for 2006 and 2007.
Study Specifics
The study was performed by Jeff Bridge of the Nationwide Children’s Hospital of Columbus, Ohio. He looked at teen suicide rates from 1996 - 2003, which were steradily dropping. He found a sudden 18% increase for 2004 - 5. Bridge has a more liberal definition of “teen”, meaning kids from the ages of 10 - 19.
Why the Increase?
In October of 2003, there was alot of quibbling in Congress over black box warning labels to be put on antidepressants. This happened as a result of many teens with clinical depression being put on Paxil and then, instead of getting better, they offed themselves. Please note that any antidepressant can make you feel suddenly suicidal, no matter what your age. If you are taking a new antidepressant and feel worse than ever before, please call your doctor or therapist.
There is a theory that pressure on doctors as a result of Paxil suicides are making doctors too leery about perscribing them to teenagers. Should all of the warnings be taken off antidepressants?
No
The president of the National Research Center for Women & Families, Diana Zuckerman, claims that there are many reasons why teens commit suicide. I think we all can see that the economy sucks. There’s injustice everywhere, catastrophic climate change and many news sources saying that the next generation will be worse off than previous American generations. Add to that the hormonal tidal wave teens go through, schools, peer pressure and no wonder they think of committing suicide.
Teens are more likely to think of suicide because they haven’t learned the coping skills that adults have, even adults with clinical depression. There usually isn’t just one cause that sets a teen planning to commit suicide — it’s usually a cyclone of factors.
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