The Causes of Teen Suicide

1. This is a presentation for all
teens and young adults that
may have thought of
suicide, know someone who
has, or may in the future.
This presentation contains
information on the causes of
suicidal thinking and how to get
help.

2. The Facts
 Teen suicide is the number one cause of
death among 15-25 year olds
 Almost half of all teenagers at least think
about suicide once in their life
 Of the 10-12% that attempt suicide, only 1-
2% actually die
 Anywhere from 8-25 attempts for every
completed suicide
 90% of people who commit suicide suffer
from some sort of mental illness

3. Definition
 Suicide is the act of deliberately killing
oneself or causing ones own death
voluntarily
 Teen suicide is a very common thought in
the heads of teens today and it has many
different causes, but it is a very poor way of
dealing with life's problems
 There are three main types of suicide, what
are they?
 Egoistic
 Anomic
 Altruistic

4. Egoistic Suicide
 Most common, deals with ones self-
value
 Feel completely overwhelmed with
responsibility or feelings of guilt
 Causes one to become weak at heart
 Find it hard to support oneself

5. Anomic Suicide
 Feel like they don’t belong to a specific
group, or society in general
 Don’t feel like they are “normal” and they
don’t fit in with everyone else
 Feel like outcasts and isolate
themselves from others
 Become depressed and very lonely

6. Altruistic Suicide
 Killing oneself for the sake of another
group or person
 Form of protest or honor
 Most rare form of suicide, usually done
in large groups
 Examples of mass suicide:
 Japanese Kamikaze Pilots
 Mass suicide at Jonestown

7. Causes of Teen Suicide
 Physical causes
 Biological
 Chemical imbalances in the brain
 Influences of the environment
 Ones own psychological makeup
 Psychological
 Emotional – come from the heart and soul
 Effects of the environment on their minds
 How they respond to the actions of others
 Combination of the two

8. Reasons for Teen Suicide
 To get attention from
parents, teachers, and peers
 Easy way to end their problems
 End their pain and suffering from a
mental or physical illness
 To honor others or to punish themselves

9. Causing Factors for Teen
Suicide
 Mental illness
 Depression
 Anxiety Disorders
 Schizophrenia
 Bipolar Disorder
 Chronically ill health
 Inability to deal with natural body changes
 Self-conscious and not accepting oneself
 Can’t handle new feelings
 Broken homes
 Alcoholism and drug abuse in family
 Physical and verbal abuse
 Financial problems
 Moving from place to place

10. Causing Factors for Teen
Suicide
 Traumatic experiences
 Death of a loved one
 Rejection
 Embarrassment
 Relationship problems
 Pressures
 School (teachers, parents, homework)
 Work
 Friends (peer pressure)
 Sexual pressures
 “Copycat” or “cluster” suicides – increasing
number of suicides shortly after the suicide of
famous person or someone known personally

11. Causing Factors for Teen
Suicide
 Media
 Music
○ Rock music believed to be satanic and gives its listeners suicidal
thoughts
○ Said to grab younger audience and trap them in a world of evil
 T.V.
○ Violent films cause watchers to become violent and reckless
○ Lose ability to recognize what could really happen
 Video games
○ Full of violence and murder
○ Makes players think nothing of death
○ Players get addicted and lose social life, causing them to become
depressed and lose confidence
○ Lose ability to connect with others and have no future

12. Conclusion
 Suicide is a big problem that teens face
 There are many different causes for suicidal
thinking, differing from person to person
 The after-affects can be very painful and life-
changing for family and friends
 Depression is the leading cause, and if you or
someone else is experiencing chronic
depression or are having suicidal thoughts
then you should seek help immediately
 There are always other good alternatives to fix
your problems other than suicide

13. Help
 USA National Suicide Hotlines
 1-800-SUICIDE
1-800-784-2433
 1-800-273-TALK
1-800-273-8255
 United Way Information and Referral (Iowa Statewide)
 2-1-1 Information
 Available 24 hours a day
 Broadlawn’s Medical Center Crisis Team, Des Moines, IA
 (515) 282-5752
 Available 24 hours a day
 Comm Telephone Services Crisis Line, Des Moines, IA
 (515) 244-1000 for crisis
 (515) 244-1010 for counseling
 Available Mon-Thurs 3 pm – 8 am, Weekends/Holidays: 24 hours a day
 Des Moines: First Call For Help, Des Moines, IA
 (515) 246-6555
 1-800-532-1194
 Available 24 hours a day