Survey Identifies 'Final Straw' Stressors That May Be Associated With Teen Suicide

Anxieties such as acne and academic pressure could contribute to suicidal feelings in young people, suggests a new study of suicide cases among young people in the United Kingdom. While such factors should not be considered direct causes of suicide, researchers said they might act as so-called "final straw" factors when combined with other issues such as long-term family problems, mental illness, bereavement and bullying. The research, which analyzes descriptive reports on the circumstances surrounding suicides of people under 20, is part of a research program in the U.K. called the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness. “Many of these factors are common in young people in general and on their own cannot be used to predict suicide risk,” said the authors of the study, which was published last week in The Lancet Psychiatry. However, they added that recognizing certain issues in adolescents may help families and doctors better identify those at risk of harming themselves. Previous research has indicated that suicide risk factors in adults include depression, social isolation, and alcohol and drug misuse. In the new study, researchers from the University of Manchester aimed to identify other potential risk factors that may be specific to younger populations. They looked at national data relating to suicide cases of people under 20 that occurred between January 2014 and April 2015. During that pe...
Source: Science - The Huffington Post - Category: Science Source Type: news