ABSTRACT

In today’s scenario high occupational mobility, high ambition and desire for high standard of living is leading to
high incidence of suicidal deaths. Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages
of 15 and 24, and each year, nearly 4,600 youth ages 10 to 24 commit suicide. Even more troubling, for every
completed suicide among youth ages 15 to 24, there are between 100 and 200 suicide attempts. In fact, a
nationally representative survey of youth conducted in 2011 found that 15.8% of high school students seriously
contemplated suicide in the last year, 12.8% had made a plan to commit suicide, 7.8% had attempted suicide at
least once, and 2.4% received medical care for an injury sustained during a suicide attempt. These troubling
statistics point to a serious problem for youth today.
The increasing threat of suicide amongst the youth serves as the motivation of this study. This study was done to
add to the understanding of suicide in terms of ideation and actual attempts among teenagers. In particular, this
study attempted to accomplish the following objectives: (1) determine the prevalent reasons and key factors for
suicide among the teenagers and (3) touch base on teens’ suicidal indications and what may be done to prevent it.

Results showed that roughly one in every ten youth aged 15 to 27 have thought of ending their life through suicide
before, though only around one in every twenty pushes through with an actual attempt. When they do attempt to
commit suicide, this is most frequently because of depression; underlying cases will be detailed onwards. When it
comes to the factors related with suicide ideation and suicide attempts, this study found significant relationships
between family and suicide; hence this study emphasizes the importance of a strong relationship.
.
In general, girls attempt suicide more often than boys, but suicide mortality is higher among boys. Self-harm is
more common among girls. A substantial portion of suicides are committed under the influence of alcohol or
drugs. The state of mental fitness also is a huge contributing factor to suicide or the tendency to self-harm. The
socioeconomic background of the parents, single parenthood, and social assistance, are linked to self-inflicted
injuries. The best indicator for suicide is an earlier attempt or expression of suicidal thoughts.
 BODY

The teen years are a stressful time. They are filled with major changes. This includes body changes, changes in
thoughts, and changes in feelings. Strong feelings of stress, confusion, fear and doubt may influence a teen’s
problem solving and decision making. He or she may also feel a pressure to succeed. For some teens, normal
development changes can be very unsettling when combined with other events. This problem may seem too hard
or too embarrassing to overcome. For some, suicide may seem like a solution.

CAUSES OF SUICIDE IDEATION AMONG TEENS

The causes of teenage suicide are hard to pinpoint. Young people with mental problem such as anxiety,
depression, bipolar or insomnia are more likely to have suicidal thoughts. Teens going through major life changes
like parental separation, parent’s divorce, financial problem and those who are bullied have greater risk to have
suicidal thoughts. Factors that increase the risk of suicide among teens include psychological disorder, depression,
bipolar disorder, stress, major disappointment, and substance abuse. In fact, 95% of people who have died from
suicide have a psychological disorder at the time of death.
Depression is a major cause of suicide that can be present in teenage years. This mental disorder causes
hopelessness and worthlessness. Depression can be harmful for those who experience violence at home or at
school. Over 75% of teens who commit suicide suffer from depression. Another cause of teenage suicide is major
disappointment. Suffering from major disappointment such as rejection, loss of boyfriend or girlfriend, failure from
school, or even a death of an idol can trigger suicidal tendencies in teens. Stress can also be included in the causes
of teenage suicide. Genetic component related to brain chemistry can be involve in teen suicide. Teens that have
family history of mental disorders are at risk of suicide or suicide attempts. Being in this environment can produce
thoughts of suicide for teens. Low level of chemical serotine may be a cause of suicide. Serotine controls impulsive
actions. Low level of serotine may lead to impulsive behaviors including suicide.

TEEN SUICIDE WARNING SIGNS

Studies suggest that the majority of people who die from suicide give warning signs beforehand. And while teen
suicides tend to peak around certain times and events of the year, the reality is that it can occur at any time.
Warning signs of suicidal ideation include, but are not limited, to the following:
1. Visiting, calling or texting people to say goodbye.
2. Looking for ways to die, such as researching for methods or means on the internet or trying to buy guns,
ropes, pills or knives.
3. Making direct or indirect statements about death, suicide, or suicide ideation/plan.
4. Writing about death, suicide, or dying when this is out of the ordinary.
 5. Sudden and extreme changes in mood or behaviors (e.g. changes in routine, appearance, grooming
habits).
6. Excessive or dangerous risk-taking.
7. Signs of severe depression (e.g. Insomnia or sleeping too much, intense anxiety or panic attacks,
irritability or agitation, rage or uncontrolled anger, withdrawal or isolation, losing interest in things, lost
ability to experience pleasure).
8. Expression of thoughts or feelings (e.g. Trapped or desperate to escaped an intolerable situation,
humiliation, being a burden to others, worthlessness, hopelessness, purposelessness or having no reason
to live).

WAYS TO PREVENT TEEN SUICIDE

While it can be scary, it is fairly common to contemplate life and death. The important thing is to calmly support
and care for the teen, and always remind him/her that there is always hope and support. Watch out for significant
stressors. Teens that feel overwhelmed by distress may feel unable to cope with their feelings and situations and
may not see other options. Teens often have not developed skills to handle distress, which can make distress feel
too much larger. Look for warning signs. While not every teen will respond the same way when debating suicide,
there are some warning signs that can clue you in if a teen is thinking of suicide. Make sure to consider if you’ve
noticed. Remain calm. Suicidal teens often cite the fear of their parents’ reaction as a reason for not divulging their
secrets. They fear that their parents will explode and be unable to help them rationally. Recognize previous
attempts. If a teen has previously attempted or had thought of suicide, it can increase the likelihood of suicidal
thoughts or reattempting. Reflect on personal history and recognize any past history with suicide. Talk about
suicide. It may seem counterintuitive, but being open with a suicidal teen can actually help and make her less likely
to go through it. It can bring a suicidal teen a great sense of relief. Learn about and recommend good mental and
health services. Knowledge is power, and if you can share resources with a suicidal teen, he/she may consider
options. There are many ways to treat a teen who is feeling suicidal. Talk to a professional and do your best to
convince the teen that there is help for what he/she is going through. Make your home safe. If you’re concerned
about our teenager attempting suicide, make sure to keep home safe. Make sure to remove firearms and hide
them somewhere that your teen cannot obtain them. Lock up any pills that could be used for overdose. You may
even consider locking up kitchen knives. Lastly, teach him/her to pray. Always let them know that God that always
hear and is always there to guide them.
 RESULTS

A. Prevalent reasons and key factors for suicide among the teenagers.
The first objective of this study is to determine the reasons and risk factors of suicide among teenagers. As
previously stated, the researcher has chosen 20 participants (10 girls and 10 boys) to answer the survey. Table
1 shows the results.

REASONS/FACTORS AFFECTING TEENAGE SUICIDE

Failure
Family Financial Physical/Emotional Romantic in
Depression Problem Problem Abuse Problems/Failure Stress School TOTAL PERCENTAGE

Male 1 3 0 1 4 1 0 10 100%
Female 2 4 0 0 3 1 0 10 100%
Table1. Frequency count and Percent Distribution on Reasons/Factors Affecting Teenage Suicide

Respondents who reported to have attempted suicide at least once were asked to give the reason behind their
attempt(s) at suicide. Their reasons have been categorized into (1) Depression (2) Family Problems, (3) Financial
Problems, (4) Physical/Emotional Abuse, (4) Heartbreak or Rejection, (5) Relationship Problems/Failure, (6) Stress,
and (6) Failure in School. The category “Depression” could be for suicide attempters whose motivations are
primarily due this major depressive disorder that negatively affects how one feel, the way they think, and how
they act. “Family problems” is for those whose motivations are brought about by conflicts in the family such as
being forced to marry someone that one is not in favor with and having a quarrel with one’s parents, parental
separation/divorce. “Financial Problem” is for those who have major financial difficulty triggering them to think of
committing suicide. “Psychological Abuse” is for those whose motivation is because of physical violence, emotional
abuse or mental abuse, such as being wrongfully disciplined by their parents, sexually abused, or being bullied.
“Romantic Problems” is for reasons such as being pregnant and having a quarrel with one’s romantic partner,
being brokenhearted or rejected by someone they love, breakups. “Stress” is our body’s way of responding to any
kind of threat. “Failure in School” is for those whose motivation is primarily due to challenges experienced by
academic failure.

Data shows that the prevailing reason that cuts between male and female is suicide attempt because of
problems in the family. Out of the 20 valid respondents included in the analysis, 35% of the population chose
because of problems in the family, same percentage goes to Romantic Problems. This puts emphasis on the family-
centric culture of the country where people, even after reaching their teenage or young adult years, still often stay
at home and keeps strong connections with the family unit. It is, therefore, not very surprising that disruptions in
the family unit become harmful to the well-being of the individual. Comparison of reasons for suicide amongst the
age groups show that as the youth grows older, the number of suicide attempts with family problems as the
reason decreases steadily, accompanied by a similarly steady increase in the prevalence of romantic problems as a
reason for suicide as these teenagers are not yet capable of handling such emotional breakdown, distress or
depression.

CONCLUSION

Results showed that roughly one in every ten Filipino youth aged 15 to 27 have thought of ending their life through
suicide before, though only around one in every twenty pushes through with an actual attempt. When they do
attempt to commit suicide, this is most frequently because of problems in the family and romantic relationship.

Teens with suicidal thoughts are more predisposed to making suicide plans. Through guidance from adults will help
adolescent students to share their thought, help to build strong communication between teacher-student and
parent-children, and help the adolescent in finding their value.
As explained earlier, there are nevertheless clear indications that point towards the following factors which tend to
account for the majority of suicide (actual and attempts) are strong in these manners: (1) Conflicts or inadequacies
in the participant-parental relationship (difficult communication between parent and teen, dysfunctional families
and history of abuse, inability of the family to stabilize teenage personality), at times further compounded with
material deprivation and which bring up issues of hopelessness, burdensomeness or thwarted belongingness,
appears to be the leading cause among the cases interviewed. (2) Intimate relationship problems including
rejection, teen dating violence and family objections are also a common cause of suicidal behavior among both
boys and girls alike.

Evidently, the need for both emotional and psychological support is crucial. An interesting finding is that a number
of suicide attempters have reported experiencing a wake-up call and having no intention to die or reciprocate
following their attempt. They also report that their relationships with their kin have improved significantly after
their attempt. Moreover, those who have reported peer pressure as a cause for their attempt have revealed to
have abandoned their peers following their attempt.
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