The Troubling Path Teenagers Face

By Elizabeth Marshall 

Stonehill News Blog Staff 

Mental illness in adolescents and corresponding suicide rates hit an all-time high earlier this decade, a recently published report found.  

More U.S. adolescents than ever before attempted suicide and took their own lives in the 2010s, according to the American Psychological Association, their study "Age, Period, and Cohort Trends in Mood Disorder Indicators and Suicide- Related Outcomes in a Nationally Representative Dataset, 2005-2017." The report also found that more teenagers during these years reported experiencing serious psychological distress, major depression, and suicidal thoughts and more attempted suicide. 

Stress from schoolwork and technological advances could play a role in the increase of mental health issues sometimes resulting in suicidal thoughts or suicide according to Kelley Cunningham, the program director for Massachusetts Public Health. Cunningham urges people to realize there has been a significant increase in suicides based off the number of individuals who have attempted to or have died by suicide in the past five years.  

The prevalence of social media may play a role although more research must be done to determine how technology may play negative or positive roles in mental health, said Cunningham. 

She said teenagers leave school and still see the comments or Instagram posts from their phones that can be hurtful or disrespectful. Once you leave school for the day, you leave the atmosphere but not the people. This can play a huge role in someone's mental health.  

In an age where social media is all around us, teenagers are constantly comparing themselves to others, she said. This does not promote body image positivity. Social media allows teenagers to see their peers at their happiest and never know how they truly feel behind a screen, Cunningham believes.  

Bryan Ryder, a sophomore who attends Lynn University in Florida has dealt with mental issues regarding his family for a long time. He has seen the effects mental illness can cause on impressionable teenagers and why this should be a priority towards helping end this epidemic.  

“When I think back at my own life, I realize how people are judgmental towards these issues and do not understand the full effects. There is so much stigma towards mental health and suicide that those struggling often feel as if they can’t be helped,” said Ryder.  

For Ryder, after seeing many of his peers and loved ones become affected by mental health issues, it has become clear to him that mental health and its clear connection to suicidal thoughts and actions is a much larger issue in society than many may think. One of Ryder’s family members did attempt suicide, his first-hand look on this issue is one reason he strongly believes that there needs to be more of an effort to fix this issue.  

Teenagers who have suicidal thoughts or plans and those struggling with mental health issues often feel alone. These stigmas warrant thoughts of not deserving help and put reasons into their heads of why this should not be a pressing issue, as if it does not matter, said Cunningham. 

“Mental illness and suicidal thoughts and actions is not something that will completely disappear. It will always be present in society and therefore there should be awareness on the matter. More of a public focus on these issues could have powerful lasting effects and can combat these issues for future generations,” said Cunningham.  

Cunningham has been active in educating individuals in the signs of potential suicides and how to help for 12 years. Before becoming the director of the program, she led presentations in schools, where she informed kids on how there needs to be more talk of this issue.  

She emphasized how it is not easy to get help, but you need to keep trying. The first doctor or psychologist, etc will not always be the right one for you. Not the right fit for your circumstances. However, it is important to keep looking so you can give yourself the best chance in succeeding.  

“You are not alone. So many people have these ‘thoughts’ but they can go away. There are so many ways to reach out for help, crisis centers, hotlines, etc. Just know you are not alone and do not give up,” said Cunningham.  

Another way that can be used to help prevent suicide attempts and combat mental health issues is to work on resilience in youths. Kids now are accustomed to people fixing their problems and therefore do not know how to deal with these thoughts or feelings that can occur, said Cunningham. 

Cunningham believes meetings and presentations at schools is one-way people feel it can help the youth. Staying informed on warning signs and ways to deal with these issues if they arise are important towards ending the issue.  

Ryder said mental health needs to be better incorporated into health and general education.  

“While I feel schools do try to raise awareness and provide students with good resources to deal with many mental health issues they may face, they must be talked about in the curriculum as the students health is of the upmost importance,” said Ryder.  

Other facts from the study include: 

• The largest increase was among 20- to 21-year-olds, where 78% more in 2017 (vs. 2008) experienced serious psycho- logical distress in the last month; among 18- to 25-year-olds overall, 71% more in 2017 (vs. 2008; 7.7% vs. 13.1%) experienced serious psychological distress. 
• Rates of suicide deaths also increased between 2008 and 2017, with the increase again larger among younger age groups (see Table 6). Unlike the other outcomes, in which consistent increases only occurred for those ages 25 and under, the suicide rate also increased among those in their late 20s and early 30s at about the same rate as for those ages 20 to 25. 
• Past-year suicide-related outcomes (suicidal ideation, plans, attempts, and deaths by suicide) increased among adolescents aged 12 to 17 and young adults ages 18 to 25 between the mid-2000s and 2017