Suicide is second leading cause of death among persons aged 15-19
- 10.09.2010 12:44
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World Suicide Prevention Day on 10 September promotes worldwide commitment and action to prevent suicides. Statistics show the global suicide rate during the last 45 years rose bout 60%. On average, almost 3000 people commit suicide daily, Info-Prim Neo reports.
According to a communiqué from the Ministry of Health, most of the cases of suicide involve persons aged between 15 and 44. There are an estimated 10 to 20 million non-fatal attempted suicides every year worldwide. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among persons aged between 15 and 19.
While external circumstances, such as a traumatic event, may trigger suicide it does not seem to be an independent cause. Thus suicides are more likely to occur during periods of socioeconomic, family and individual crisis.
Suicide is often committed out of despair, or attributed to some underlying mental disorder which includes depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism and drug abuse. Financial difficulties, interpersonal relationships and other undesirable situations play a significant role.
Causes of teenage suicide include disharmony in the family, unhealthy or abusive relationship or break-up, alcohol or drug abuse, feelings of anger and guilt, poor academic performance, experience of a personal loss and others. Clear warning signs precede suicides in more than 90% of cases. Not all teenagers who commit suicide are mentally ill. Most teen suicides can be prevented by effective communication and psychotherapy.
