Suicidal Thoughts And Depression On The Increase In Teens

by Mohit J. White Hat Link Building Services

One in seven teens in the US admit to misusing drugs or alcohol, and there has been an increase in them reporting feeling helpless, scared and depressed. This has seen an increase in absenteeism and truancy, reckless behavior and thoughts of and attempts of suicide. While there are some efforts being made to help in the form of charities offering support, schools going through training, and parents having access to resources like a behavioral health toolkit it is not enough. One of the big things teens face now is not just bullying at school but also online cyberbullying tracking them wherever they go.

Sad stats about teens

One out of every five students in high school is facing ongoing bullying issues at school. One in ten girls and one in twenty-eight boys have experienced some form of forced sexual action. A lot of teens report feeling hopeless and almost 20% consider suicide. Despite charities and organizations doing their best to help, and despite more and more being tried to open up the conversation to reduce these figures, they continue to get worse, not better. 15 years ago less than 30% of teens had suicidal feelings, 5 years ago it was over 30%.

An increase in dangerous behavior

One of the things to look for perhaps with the help of a mental health crisis toolkit is signs of suicide. One of those signs is the teen taking increasingly risky behavior, putting themselves at risk in various ways. Drinking and taking drugs is one example. Another is indulging in unsafe sex. 15 years ago ⅔ of teens were using condoms when they had sex. 5 years ago, it was only just over half of them. That is why there has been an increase in teens with various sexually transmitted diseases such as Syphilis and HIV. More teens are having sex too, an increase of 10%.

Making a difference in a teen’s life

Experts say that family support, in particular parental support, can make a huge difference in a teen’s life. How they feel about themselves, the tools they have, communication and so on are all going to have a positive impact and reduce the chance they try to commit suicide. But it is also important to access resources like a behavioral health toolkit and ensure they have access to substance abuse and mental health resources.

As well as parents being important schools are also important. They need to help by offering things like bystander intervention training, coping skills and taking stronger steps to prevent bullying and have a more inclusive school environment. Among LGBT youths there is an increase in risky behavior, bullying and feeling like their emotional and physical well-being is threatened. They are more likely to be sexually assaulted, more likely to be truant, and have suicidal thoughts. It is important to intervene, make use of a mental health crisis toolkit to help better understand how to help them, and to work together in this crisis.