In the United States, “Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people, resulting in about 4,400 deaths per year, according to the CDC” (“Bullying”). That many deaths per year are too many for adolescences under the age of 18 years old because the majority of them are still in school and under the care and supervision of their parents. Unfortunately, this number of deaths will continue to increase unless something changes and soon. Presently, teen suicide is a sore subject for most people, especially parents. Usually parents die first, not their children. Unfortunately, for too many families, that’s how it happens. Now is the time to figure out effective ways to prevent teen suicide from happening to more …show more content…
Immediately, they need to be better prepared about what to watch for, and how to approach a possibly at risk teen. Then learn the best way to help a suicidal teen. There are many ways to treat a child, but are they actually effective? When anyone hears about another teen who has committed suicide, it breaks their heart. In short, it is time to stop breaking hearts and start saving lives. Therefore, state and local governments, school boards, and parents need to come up with more effective ways to help and prevent teen suicide. Everyone would agree teen suicide is a very serious subject. However, most people do not understand why another person would even contemplate committing suicide. To this end, more people need information about suicide prevention. Perhaps then we can figure out how to help the person and prevent them from taking their own life. One researcher writes, “Suicidal behavior has shown to significantly correlate with multiple psychopathologies, such as depression, schizophrenia, anxiety, impulsive behavior, social phobias, obsessive-compulsive and affective …show more content…
The two most commonly used treatment options are psychological treatment (psychotherapy) and medication therapy (pharmacotherapy). For most patients, doctors prescribe one or both of these treatments, and they usually work. In severe cases, patients admitted to mental hospitals receive treatment on site. One expert says, “The task of an inpatient stay is crisis stabilization, medication adjustment, and aftercare assessment and planning. Furthermore, inpatient hospitals are the most restrictive level of psychiatric care. For that reason, locked doors become necessary and the child’s freedom is significantly curtailed” (Hollander 197). “Many times, patients become treated with disrespect and caged like animals. At the same time, medication given for the sole purpose of getting the patient to be quiet and not giving the staff trouble makes their jobs easier” (“Truth”). Getting the right treatment for your child is very important for their mental health. Unfortunately, many of these treatments and available resources are limited and very expensive. Many families cannot afford the treatment options provided by a specialist. So they try to get on with their lives and hope things will just get better on their own. The government doesn’t provide mental health care for most families with suicidal teens. Mr. Haugen finds, “Some states have initiated programs to assist