Suicide in United States and Statistics
Abstract
Over many years, cases of people taking their own lives, either directly or indirectly has doubled. Suicide cases affect a diverse population in society, ranging from the young to the aged. The aim of this paper is to conceptualize the issue of suicide, its prevalence in the United States, reasons for committing suicide, and the outcomes of suicide on society. Suicide cases have been recorded among the employed, unemployed, students, whites, and African Americans. Particularly, cases of suicide in the US are evident in stressed individuals facing challenges of unemployment, marital problems, and drug abuse. The loss resulting from suicide has not only traumatized the bereaved families, relatives, and friends, but has also affected the country as a whole. Families have lost their breadwinners, while the economies of many countries have suffered as many laborers die in suicide cases. Therefore, there is a need for supportive services to address this social problem.
Keywords: suicide, causes, types, prevalence, outcomes
Table of Contents
Statistics Concerning Suicide. 6
Treatment for Suicide Attempt 10
Prevention of Suicide Attempts. 11
Introduction
Suicide, which is ranked by the National Safety Council as the sixth cause of deaths in the United States of America, refers to the act of taking one’s own life intentionally (Solin & Nikander, 2011, p. 5). It is also defined as the act of intended self-destruction, or annihilation (Mishara, 2010, p. 16). Indeed, the manner in which so many lives have been lost due to suicide is so high. According to Baudelot & Establet, (2008), about 30, 000 people in America commit suicide annually (p. 41). On a global scale, available data on suicide shows that it is the thirteenth leading cause of death as more than one million people lose their lives annually to suicide (Solin & Nikander, 2011, p. 44). In American, suicide is a significant contributor to the death toll across all age groups. The high number of deaths from suicide necessitates an analysis of the underlying factors that lead people to take away their lives. According to Marcovitz and Sheras, (2010), “suicide knows no social or economic barriers as rock starts, college students, parents and supermodels can find it as the only solution to their problems” (p. 10).
According to Solin & Nikander (2011),“approximately twenty five million people annually are rescued for failed suicide attempts” (p. 54). Moreover, due to its prevalence among young people, suicide is a social menace that requires urgent attention (Marcovitz and Sheras, 2010). The identification of the root cause of suicide is the first step in solving this issue that is threatening the lives of the mighty and the low in the society (Mishara, 2010).
Data collected from the victims’ close friends, relatives and families reveal a trend that points to the loss of hope by the victims as the cause of intentionally taking their own lives (Mishara & Kastenbaum, 2007). That is, a majority of people commit suicide as a last resort to end their tribulations and woes. A child who is continually abused either at school, playing field, home or both will, in most cases, resort to suicide (Baudelot & Establet, 2008). A sick person, especially terminally ill patient, would choose to take his or her own life by not taking his or her drugs, carelessly crossing the road or intentionally involving himself or herself in accident. In addition, such individuals may even induce their own death by forcing the police to shoot them by intentionally committing an armed crime (Baudelot & Establet, 2008). This is a case of n indirect murder. Continued pressure from work and the resulting depression may eventually push the victims to commit suicides. On the other hand, lack of job itself may also be a predisposing factor to individuals with suicidal thoughts. Moreover, alcoholism, cigarette smoking, drug abuse, and addictive gambling are all noted as the factors that lead to suicide. This is shown by the various studies conducted among people who had higher rates of suicides, and suicidal attempts (Marcovitz and Sheras, 2010, p. 35).
Because of the adverse effects of suicide in society, it is important for people to understand what suicide is, what causes it, the predisposing factors, and how it can be prevented (Mishara & Kastenbaum, 2007). Moreover, it is important for the survivors of suicidal attempts to be enrolled into a rehabilitation program to enable them recover from such traumatizing event in their lives. Indeed, it is important for people and communities to be educated about suicide. This will reduce stigma and ridicule and can be a good effort in addressing this social problem (Baudelot & Establet, 2008). Failure to carry out this important step might lead to the victim being secluded and consequently attempt another suicide. On the other hand, suicides cause economic loss to the families concerned. Therefore, it is important for world governments to curb the avoidable causes of suicide such as lack of employment and drug abuse among others (Solin & Nikander, 2011). This paper is aimed at defining suicide, giving evidence of its epidemiology and effects. Moreover, this paper also brings to light the various types of suicides, possible causes, treatment, and prevention of suicidal attempts (Epigee, 2009).
Suicide: The Last Decision a Person Will Make
Statistics Concerning Suicide
The statistics concerning suicide are staggering: 1 in 65,000 children ages 10-14 commit suicide each year. According to (Marcovitz and Sheras, 201, p. 227), 30,000 Americans commit suicide every year. In addition, 15% of those who are clinically depressed die by suicide, while 80% of people that seek treatment for depression are treated successfully (Marcovitz and Sheras, 201, p. 330). On the other hand, 79 % of suicides in America are committed by males (Eagen, 2011, p. 35). However, women who commit suicide fall between 45 and 54-year bracket. In addition, statistics also indicate that women try to commit suicide three times in their lifetime (Eagen, 2011, p. 37).
Statistics are numbers, but suicides affect real people. Eagen (2011) holds that “suicide is never the answer, getting help is the answer” (p. 114). Several organizations have come along to help in mitigating suicidal behaviors across America (Mishara, 2010). One of them is suicide.org founded by Caruso. The mandate of this organization is to help those contemplating suicide as well as affected families (Eagen, 2011, p. 38). The company provides hot lines for those who may be contemplating suicide. This model creates an atmosphere of loving the person and giving him or her options other than suicide. In addition, the organization offers suggestions for clinical help to the victims. The website goes even further to offer aid to the families of those who have lost their loved ones to suicide. The purpose of such organizations is to apply healing to the families of the suicide victim, suicide survivors, and others who may be affected (Baudelot & Establet, 2008).
Possible Causes of Suicide
- Untreated depression: A mental disorder can easily degenerate into a suicide if it is not attended to quickly (Caruso, 2010). Over ninety percent of those who take away their lives have had a mental illness at the time of their death. The most common of the mental illnesses is depression (Eagen, 2011).
- Postpartum depression refers to some unexplained feeling of sadness experienced by some mothers after giving birth. A mother may feel lonely, annoyed, and afraid. Some women report some discomfort or even dislike for their babies. This feeling of mood swings after childbirth has been of great concern to researchers (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010, p. 109). Contrary to this, however, a mother may exhibit signs of depression, which depending on the length of time it may take to subside might cause adverse effects to both the mother and the family at large. According to Marcovitz and Sheras (2010), a relatively small number of women experience postpartum depression. One is likely to either fear causing harm to her baby and may contemplate committing suicide in some cases. This condition after delivery, in many occasions, goes undiagnosed. This has been attributed to fact that a mother wants to avoid embarrassment. She might feel guilty or fear to share willingly about her sensitively distressful feelings (Marcovitz and Sheras, 2010).
- Terminal Illness or Death of a Loved One: One of the darkest times in anyone’s life is losing a loved one. Depression follows and sometimes the surviving member feels they cannot go on without that loved one. When a person is diagnosed with a terminal illness, close family member should be closely monitored and counseled to avoid any incidences of suicide (Mishara & Kastenbaum, 2007).
- Losses such as jobs, marriage, house or money can make a person feel so depressed that they feel the only way out is suicide (Eagen, 2011).
- Bullying, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and legal problems can push a person over the edge and the person could contemplate ending his or her life (SAVE, 2010).
Causes of suicide are many-faceted. What is a tragedy to one person can be a trifling inconvenience to another. No matter what the reason for the suicide; the person feels there is no other way out except to take his or her life (Baudelot & Establet, 2008).
Types of Suicide
Indirect suicide
This type of suicide is caused by carelessness on the part of the person concerned. For instance, person might express his or her negligence by “not taking their medication or carelessly crossing a street in a dangerous manner” (Eagen, 2011, p. 116). This type of suicide is rather ‘reckless’ in that suicide may or may not be the result of this self-injury behavior. In some cases, a person might engage in a crime in the hope that, once caught, they will be sentenced to death (Eagen, 2011).
Murder Suicide
This is a common type of suicide and usually involves two intimate people (Hinduja & Patchin, 2010). However, the combination of murder and suicide has expressed itself in various ways. A person can take away his or her life after killing a spouse as, “a form of self-punishment due to guilt” (Epigee, 2009, p. 66). Suicide bombers fall in this class, since they commit suicide in order to kill others. Sometimes there is a morbid attraction between a perpetrator and the victim in murder-suicide (Epigee, 2009).
Assisted suicide is common and it occurs when a person helps another person to take away his or her life. It differs from euthanasia because in assisted suicide, a person provides the means, either by availing a drug or equipment for taking away one’s life. This type of suicide has received much press coverage in the recent past due to the American pathologist and right-to-die activist, Jack Kavorkian. Dr. Kavorkian spent a considerable amount of time in jail because assisting his patients to commit suicide (Eagen, 2011).
Rational Suicide
Suicide takes place when a person refuses to put up with life’s challenges. According to (Eagen, 2011), suicide might be the only solution for an individual at a given time. However, suicide is not the only best option, and for whatever reason. However, to some people, it is the only way to avoid the realities of life (Marcovitz and Sheras, 2010).
Suicide Pacts
The suicide pact is usually between two people who decide to die together. It occurs when an external problem arises in a certain relationship. The suicide pact is usually from poisoning and is extremely rare. The two people agree to take their lives at the same time, or in separate places but at a given time (SAVE, 2010).
Mass Suicide
Some people take away their lives due to social pressure. Mass suicides are organized by a group of people. For instance, in 1978, an estimated 900 of a religious cult led by Jim Jones ended their lives by taking a juice laced with cyanide (Baudelot & Establet, 2008, p. 19). Most of mass suicides are committed by religious cults.
Treatment for Suicide Attempt
The two major treatments for suicide prevention are pharmacotherapy and counseling therapies.
Pharmacotherapy
- The medicine therapies include Selective Serotonin-Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI), Designer Antidepressants, Tricyclic Antidepressants, Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOIs), Azapirones, Augmentation Strategies, and Investigational Drugs (Baudelot & Establet, 2008).
- The counseling therapies include: Psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Supportive Psychotherapy or Attention Intervention Problem Solving Therapy, Electroconvulsive Therapy, and Acupuncture
Counseling Therapy
Prevention of Suicide Attempts
The best prevention of suicide attempt according to Cholbi (2011) is to ‘reach out’ to someone. Cholbi (2011), writes, “If you are feeling suicidal, you should first call a suicide hotline. If you know someone who may be in danger due to the warning ‘signals’, get help immediately” (p. 53). To address PPD, a mother’s history during pregnancy should be understood by a nurse in order to help diagnose any instances of PPD. For instance, a nurse may want to establish if the mother suffered any form of depression including prenatal anxiety and stressful situations during pregnancy. Other risk factors to look for include; problems in marriage, menstrual cycle problems, history of mental problems, drug abuse and any other socio- economic issues. There are some tools such as Beck’s Postpartum Depression Checklist and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, which can be deployed to screen for risk factors (Marcovitz and Sheras, 2010).
Marcovitz and Sheras (2010), posits that screening is an important method as it helps in detecting those at high risk of committing suicide. Several tools have been proposed that can help in carrying out screening tests. These tools take the form of self-report questionnaires, which assist in determining those who are most likely to commit suicide. According to Cholbi (2011, 76% of people who committed suicide had seen a physician shortly before their death. Effective screening and follow-ups could help minimize cases of suicide in America (Mishara & Kastenbaum, 2007).
Conclusion
America has worrying rates of suicide among its citizens. The effects of suicides take years or even decades to overcome. Family members as well as friends suffer for the rest of their lives, while those who commit this crime rob society of people who could otherwise contribute significantly to the development of their communities. As highlighted above, more men commit suicide than women do. There are as many reasons to commit suicide as there are people who are attempting to commit this crime. Suicide is a crime, not only legally, but a crime against humanity, to one’s own loved ones and family, a crime against society and a crime against one’s own humanness. Suicide is preventable if one would simply ‘ask’ for help. The warning signs and the types of suicide, which were noted in this paper, are all helps to the suicidal person and to the victim’s family. Depression is the number one reason for committing suicide and depression can come from a plethora of calamities in a person’s life: death of a loved one, loss of home or spouse; loss of income or possessions or just loss of a person near to us. Depression can be taken care of through counseling, therapies, or even medication. There is help for anyone who has thoughts of suicide and there are people who truly care about others. This is the one defining thought that a person, who is about to commit suicide, must have; there is someone who does care! It is paramount that each individual takes responsibility in identifying behavior that can lead to a suicide and work diligently with others in finding an amicable solution. This will help minimize deaths that occur due to suicide.
References
Baudelot, C. and Establet, R. (2008). Suicide: the hidden side of modernity. Boston: Polity.
Cholbi, M. (2011). Suicide: the philosophical dimensions. New York: Broadview Press.
Eagen, R. (2011). Suicide. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company.
Epigee, (2009). Suicide warning signs. Epigee Health and Fitness. Retrieved from: http://www.epigee.org/suicide/signs.html
Hinduja, S., & Patchin, J. W. (2010). Bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide. Archives of Suicide Research, 14(3), 206-221.
Marcovitz, H. and Sheras, L. P. (2010). Suicide. New York: ABDO.
Mishara, B.L., (2010). Encyclopedia of death and dying. Retrieved from: http://www.deathreference.com/Sh-Sy/Suicide-Types.html
Mishara, B.L.,& Kastenbaum, R., (2007). Self-Injurious Behavior and Environmental Change in the Institutionalized Elderly. Aging and Human Development 4(2), 133–145.
SAVE (2010). Suicide awareness of voices of education. Retrieved from http://www.save.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=home.viewPage&page_id=705D5DF4-055B-F1EC-3F66462866FCB4E6
Solin, P., & Nikander, P. (2011). Targeting suicide – qualitative analysis of suicide prevention strategy documents in England and Finland. Mental Health Review Journal, 16(1), 5-14.
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