Essay about Social Psychology Behind Teen Suicide

Teen suicide is a major problem in our society today. The adolescent suicide rate has tripled since 1960, while being the largest cause of death between the ages of 15 and 24. This is the one single age group that has seen an increase in suicides over the past thirty years. There are about 10,000 reported suicides reported annually. It is estimated however, that the true number of teen suicides is actually three to four times that number when unreported deaths are factored in. The teenage years are full of trials and tribulations for everyone. Adolescents are often forced into learning new social roles, developing new relationships, getting used to the changes in your body, and making decisions about their†¦show more content†¦The start of what leads a person to suicide does not have anything to do with the person’s present life experiences, but with their early childhood experiences. This is because the view of others, outside family and friends, has no contribution to the pain that causes suicide and depression. Depression can include self-pity, shame, envy, and grandiosity. All of these things play a role in depression one way or another. Depressed people are usually subject to desire and grandiose ideation. Grandiosity is best described as when a person starts thinking they are above everyone and everything else. They absurdly exaggerate many things in their lives just for attention it brings them. Envy, another cause of depression, has two aspects. In its primary sense, envy is the experience of pain when a person sees that someone else has something desirable, which he would like. Envy is also the experience of pleasure, when the person who has that desired quality suffers misfortune. Shame, in depression, is usually aimed inward toward the victim, or depressed person. When self-pity, another depression mode, is thought of, it usually brings up the feelings of being sad or angry for mistakes that happened in the past. Depressed adolescents frequently communicate their despair before they act out in this final act of desperation. Teens tend to reflect their dysphoria withShow MoreRelatedCanada in a Youth Suicide Crisis Situation Essay1532 Words   |  7 PagesCanada in a Youth Suicide Crisis Situation The idea of youth committing suicide mystifies our societal logic. We do not understand the reasons why youth -normally associated with energy, determination and possibilities- turn to such a final act as a solution. Suicide eventually enters all of our lives, either directly or indirectly. However, the situation becomes more cruel and unfair when a youth commits suicide. 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