Question

A myth about adolescent suicide, including suicidal ideation and actual suicide attempts, is that it is “a cry for help.” Statistics show that suicide is the second leading cause of death in the age group 12-19 years following unintentional injuries (accidents), and four out of five adolescents committing suicide gave clear intentions. The fact that we will never know the true reason why an adolescent commits suicide there are multiple risk factors. Based on evidence-based literature, identify three risk factors for suicide health care providers should recognize while performing an adolescent health history, and why/how they make the adolescent at risk. How would you proceed with care and possibly a referral for this at-risk adolescent? 150 words

Answer 1

There are several risk factors behind suicidal ideation among adolescents. We will look into three of these risk factors. It can be a lack of social support, bullying, a serious loss or hopelessness. The important factor behind the problem solving will be proper identification of the root cause. Need to counsel both parents and students in most of the cases. Also, need to train our children to overcome problems in life. Build the ability to solve the problems by themselves. Moreover, a strong bond between parents and children can limit the suicidal ideation. A school health nurse must be alarmed if they found a child with social deprivation or suspected behaviour. An immediate referral should be made to a child psychologist or a counsellor. If the child is suffering from bullying, need to notify his fellow colleagues also about his need for social support. If he is suffering from a serious loss of a person or pet in his life, they need to get immediate attention. The most important thing to prevent suicidal ideation is to build a strong ability for problem-solving by themselves. Early identification and proper referral also can prevent suicide to an extent.