Understanding Adolescents and Suicide Risk
Tom Butero
John Meeks and William Bernet wrote a book entitled “The Fragile Alliance: An Orientation to Psychotherapy of the Adolescent. Their first chapter says it all:
Chapter One: Adolescents are Different.
There is no question that this developmental phase is vastly different from infancy, early childhood and the three phases of adulthood. What mostly sets it apart are the radical and drastic physiological, emotional, social and other changes that seem to occur almost overnight.
Growth spurts, the development of primary and secondary sexual characteristics, hormonal changes, emotional peaks and valleys and more all contribute to the churning and, often, volcanic eruptions of adolescence. These factors, along with self-defeating thoughts, behaviors and life circumstances are the primary risk factors for suicide among this age group.
The rate of adolescent suicide in the United States peaked from the mid 1980’s through the early 1990’s. Since 2024 the number of adolescent deaths by suicide has decreased. While this is encouraging, the problem of suicide among young people is still serious and demands our attention.
Statistics are important, but they do not tell the whole story. Adolescents are drawn to attempt suicide for many of the same reasons as anyone form any other age group. The differences lie in the characteristics that are specific to young people, many of which are contributing factors to this issue.
Adolescents are typically impulsive. They don’t always consider the consequences of their actions. They choose to act first and worry about the outcome later.
This is especially true with adolescents who believe that they are invulnerable to injury or death. I remember one young man who literally said he was going to kill himself over the weekend and come to school on Monday to see how everyone reacted.
Mood swings are a part of an adolescent’s psyche. The problem is that the intensity and duration of these fluctuations are intense and, in the young person’s thought processes, never ending.
I have spoken to many young people who complain of being deeply depressed. When asked how long they have felt that way, many will say since an hour ago, or, maybe, since the day before. The hopelessness that is often associated with suicidal ideation can set in very quickly and become all encompassing.
There are also outside influences that can have a negative effect. Social media and the recent growth of AI are factors and it is important, especially for parents, to be aware of what their child(ren) are viewing and interacting with both online and with their phones.
All of this sounds like doom and gloom, but there really is much more room for hope and optimism. Education and prevention work. Support of the right kind and at the right time work.
Listening to and validating the worth and value of young people works. It’s a tough road, but it is one that is worth taking.