Gilmore1

MichaelGilmore
Mr.Conrad
ERWCPeriod3
19October2015
TeenSuicide
TeenSuicideisamajorproblemthatmanypeoplefaceintheUnitedStatesandaround
theworld.Somewouldliketosaywecanstopitifwejustknowhowtolookforitandothers
sayitsamentaldisorderandwecantcureit.Alotofpeoplealsoclaimthatteensuicideison
theriseandrapidlyincreasingbutotherthinkitsjustbecausethemediashowsitmorethan
usualnow.
Peopleclaimthatwecanstopteensuicideifwecreatementalhealthscreenings.These
screeningswillhelpfindmentalillnessinkidsandyoungadultsbecausethemajorityofmental
illnessinyoungpeoplegoesunrecognizedanduntreated.(Friedman)ifthesementalillnesses
continuetogountreatedtheycanleadtofarworseconditionsorevensuicide.Ifsuicide
screeningprogramsweresetuprightanddidagoodjobtheywouldhelppreventsuicidearound
theworld.Thescreeningsareproventohelponegirlevensaid
"I'mnotsurewhereIwouldbe
todayifIdidn'tgetscreened.I'mnotevensureifIwouldbehereatall."(Friedman)shehas
proventhatthesecanandwillhelpothersiftheycangetthehelptheyneedwhichwillhopefully
leadtomoregettinghelp.
Thereareothersthatthinkthatscreeningformentalillnessesisjustanotherwayforthe
pharmaceuticalindustrytomakemoremoney.Dr.PeterWaldenhassaidthatitisbasedon
opinionsandsomechildrenareonmultipledrugcocktails,asmanyas16drugs,thedrugsthat


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arerecommendedbyTMAParebothdangerousandoftenineffective.(Liversidge)thisisjust
proofthatevenadoctorissayingthatalotofthedrugsprescribedtochildrenaren'tactually
doinganythingtohelpthem.Thereisalsotheoriesthatthesequestionscanleadvulnerable
teenagerstoobsessaboutperceivedinadequaciesthatmightleadthemtodeveloplowself
esteemthatcouldgiverisetoanxiety,withdrawalandemotionalproblems.(Liversidge)thisisa
goodpointandagreatreasontowhythesescreeningsarentonlyineffectivebuttheycanalso
createunwantedresults.Anotherproblemwiththesescreensisitgivesthemthepossibilitythat
suicidemaybeanoption,andthat'soneofthequestions,screeningmightleadtosuicidal
thinking.(Liversidge)thisisnotwhattheyweregoingforinthefirstplace.Maybeitsforthe
bestthatthesearentastandardtest.
Thegeneralmajorityofpeoplethinkthattherateofsuicideisrisingbutthereisactually
noreasontobelievethatitreallyis.
Therearemanythatclaimthatteensuicideisahuge
problemandisbecomingmorecommonbutaccordingtoa
studybytheMentalHealthServices
Administrationtheyfoundthatadultsages18to25werefarmorelikelytohaveseriously
consideredsuicideinthelastyearthanthoseages26to49.(Bigfoot)Admittedlyitdoesseem
liketherearefarmoresuicidesthatthereusetobebutthat'sbecausethemediahasbeen
reportingonthesesuicidesalotmorethantheyusedto.Theteensuicideratehasactuallybeen
decreasing,ifyoulookatthegovernmentdataitshowsthatithasbeenonagradualdecline
sincethe1990s.AnotherpieceofevidenceiswhenFriendsmemorializethedeadwith
braceletsandFacebookpages,whichmighthealtheirsorrowbutsendtwistedsignalsto
depressedteensthatthereisglamourorattentiontobegained.(Cullota)Theproblemwiththis
iseventhoughtheydoittotrytofeelbetteraboutthelossoftheirfriend,buttheyarereminded


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ofthepersontheylostwhichisntthebestandcanleadtodepression.Althoughthisissadthere
isstillsomegoodnewsthatteensuiciderateisdecreasing.
Thesearejustafewofthemanysidesoftheproblemsthatteensuicidecausestoothers
andtothevictim.Evenwiththeproblemsofscreeningforsuicidetheyarestillagoodidea
becausetheycanhelpmanywiththeirissuestheyaretooscaredorconfusedtodoanything
about.Thosescreenscanhelpfurtherdecreasetheteensuiciderate.Suicideisaverysadthing
butwhensuchyoungpeoplewithsomuchaheadofthemandithappensonsuchasuddenurgeit
isahorribletragedy.


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WorksCited
Friedman,RichardA."ScreeningTeenagersCanHelpPreventTeenSuicide."
Suicide
.Ed.
JacquelineLangwith.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2008.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from
"UncoveringanEpidemicScreeningforMentalIllnessinTeens."
NewEnglandJournal
ofMedicine
355(28Dec.2006):27172719.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.26
Oct.2015
Liversidge,Ellen."ScreeningTeenagersDoesNotPreventTeenSuicide."
Suicide
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JacquelineLangwith.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2008.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from
"TestimonybeforetheU.S.FoodandDrugAdministration,onBehalfoftheAlliancefor
HumanResearchProtection."
www.FDA.gov
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Cullota,KarenAnn."TrendsinTeenSuicideAreaSeriousProblem."
MentalIllness
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RomanEspejo.Detroit:GreenhavenPress,2012.OpposingViewpoints.Rpt.from"High
RatesofSuicideinChicago,SuburbsRaiseRedFlags."
ChicagoTribune
15Oct.2010.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.26Oct.2015.
Bigfoot,DoloresSubia."NativeAmericanYouthFaceanIncreasedRiskofSuicide."
Teen
Suicide
.Ed.ChristineWatkins.FarmingtonHills,MI:GreenhavenPress,2014.AtIssue.
Rpt.from"WrittenStatementofDoloresSubiaBigFoot,Ph.D."
AmericanPsychological
Association
.2009.
OpposingViewpointsinContext
.Web.26Oct.2015.