Adolescent Suicide, Article Review Example

In their mental health article, “The role of help and hope in prevention and early intervention with suicidal adolescents,” The authors take the position that help and hope can significantly influence the decision process an adolescent goes through for determining whether or not they will commit suicide. This influence, which the authors notes is for the positive, stems from the feeling of support the adolescent gets from knowing they have people nearby to provide help, and the hope provided by those individuals to instill in them anticipation for a brighter day. As the authors note, “Help and hope can be powerful and mutually reinforcing components of any attempt to reach adolescents contemplating suicide (Roswarski & Dunn, 2008).” In many cases when one suffering from depression is contemplating suicide they are doing it under the notion that they are completely alone.  Providing both help and hop demonstrates to the individual that they are not alone and that the triggers initiating the depressing behavior are not always going to be present in their lives.

In the article the researchers recognize signs that an adolescents is considering suicide as   signs as, changes in their sleeping patterns, eating patterns, dysthymia or depression, sudden drug or alcohol abuse, a previous suicide attempt, social isolation, withdrawal, or marked changes in their established behavior (Roswarski & Dunn, 2008). Despite these characteristics, the article also notes that “However, a literature analysis demonstrated that a suicidal adolescent may only be differentiated from a depressed, schizophrenic, or acting-out adolescent after the final act of suicide (Roswarski & Dunn, 2008).” This means that is often very difficult to distinguish the behavior or one who is bent on self destruction from one who may have a medical condition with the same symptoms. It was also found that deciphering the signs that an adolescent might be offering revealing their intentions to commit suicide is also very difficult. The authors, note, “In a survey of adolescents and their parents, Stivers (1988) found that adolescents considering suicide are communicating their pleas for help, though often parents do not take notice (Roswarski & Dunn, 2008).” This is why when the inkling of a sign that an adolescent might be considering suicide is present, it must be taken with full professional consideration. The opportunity to assess the tell tale signs of possible adolescent suicide starts in the classroom.

In their study on mental health and social services, authors note that school is one of the opportune locations to provide adolescents with the mental health services they might need. They say,  “Schools are a natural setting for mental health services in that children and adolescents spend a large portion of their time there, and schools provide an avenue to reach parents and teachers, who can assist in the maintenance of improved cognitive, behavioral, and emotional functioning (Brener, Weist, Adelman, Taylor, Vernon-Smiley, 2006).” The truth about depression is that all individuals at some point in their life go through some form of depression. Since human emotions fluctuate, especially in adolescent years, having mental health professionals on hand to help students deal with seasonal issues could be the best deterrent for the problem escalating into something more serious. The authors cite many Federal initiatives that have helped develop the growth of school-based mental health programs and services (Brener, Weist, Adelman, Taylor, Vernon-Smiley, 2006). The real focus needs to be on High school education.

Incidence of suicide attempts peak during the mid-adolescent years, specifically ages 14–17 years (Novick, Donald & Sutphen, 2003). This can be averted by screening for mood changes, depression, and substance abuse and many of the other telling symptoms (Novick, Donald & Sutphen, 2003). As the authors notes, many of the screening programs provided by federal institutions reveal a lot about adolescent psychology and the changes therein, “Students who have a positive score on this test are referred for a formal diagnostic interview by a trained mental health professional (e.g., clinical psychologist or psychiatrist) that then makes the diagnostic and risk determination as well as the decision to refer the student for treatment (Novick, Donald & Sutphen, 2003).” Implementing programs like this in both high schools, hospitals, and other institutions that engage with young people is an effective way to start the path towards decreasing the number of adolescent suicides each year.

In sum, the most effective deterrent for adolescent depression is the belief that there is someone who cares and that the future will bring on better days. The authors do an excellent job of demonstrating that adolescents live in environments that are out of their control, and that not providing avenues for them to communicate their frustrations, or assist them with coping with temporary seasonal issues, could result in them making permanent decisions they will regret, or won’t live to regret. Adolescent suicide is a major cause of death for young people, but it can also be a wakeup call for medical and education industries to establish better protocol focused on hope and support.

Work cited:

Roswarski, T., & Dunn, P. (2009). The role of help and hope in prevention and early intervention with suicidal adolescents: Implications for mental health counselors. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 31(1),

Brener, Nancy D.; Mark Weist,; Howard Adelman,; Linda Taylor,; Mary Vernon-Smiley,. “Mental health and social services: results from the School Health Policies and Programs Study 2006.(Report).” Journal of School Health. American School Health Association. 2007. Retrieved August 27, 2012 from HighBeam Research:http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-170454103.html

Novick, L. F., Donald, A., & Sutphen, S. M. (2003). Adolescent suicide prevention. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 24(4),