Kazakhstan ranks the second in the world in terms of mortality rates from juvenile suicides according to a study conducted by the UNICEF UN Children’s Fund, (Ivashenko, 2016). It is not just a fact, but sad news that puts a black spot on the reputation of the country in general. Year by year the number of facts of teen’s suicide is increasing. As of the figures of April 2016, it was counted 200 cases of teenagers committing suicide in Kazakhstan. The most susceptible age group is a 15-19 years old teenagers that accounts 60% of the whole suicides in Kazakhstan.
Despite these astonishing facts, today many citizens of Kazakhstan feel indifferent to suicide (Zhanabayev, n.d.). They tend to believe that the only cause that made them commit suicide is mental illness. However, it is not only reason that leads to suicide in fact; there exist a number of reasons that trigger healthy children to do such a horrible act.
The website livestrong.com and healthyplace.com provide the top common factors that drive teenagers to commit suicide (Croft, 2016; Shaw, 2017):
The major disappointment resulted from failure in study, rejection from a boyfriend or girlfriend, family loss that teenagers are not able to cope with which can trigger suicide. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) notes, these situations alone might not be responsible for suicide, but these are factors that contribute to adolescent extreme measures.
As the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry states, the common problems among teens that related to stress are worries, pressure, and confusion, which cause teen suicide. Moving to a new place, experiencing parental divorce, studying in a new school are a few unsettling cases that exacerbate uncertain feelings such as anxiety, suffering, or agitation.
Depression is one of the major causes that lead to juvenile suicide. According to Kids Health, the feelings of worthlessness and hopelessness can be caused by this mental disorder. “Depression can be particularly harmful for teens who experience violence at home or at school and feel isolated fromt their peers or lack a social network of friends” says Shaw (2017, para. 4)
Alcohol or drug abuse can lead to unexpected behavior, especially if the teenager is being harassed by other problems, such as family difficulties or a mental disorder. Substance abuse is considered to relieve teen
s from their problems, but it only exacerbated the situations.
As NAMI points out, genetic component associated to mental illness may be other suicidal tendencies in teens. Children whose family was involved in mental disorders have a high risk of suicide or suicide attempts. Being the witness of relative’s suicide, vulnerable teens may have thoughts of suicide. According to NAMI (Shaw, 2017), “Low levels of the brain chemical serotonin may be a cause of suicide. Serotonin controls impulsive actions. Low levels of the chemical may lead to impulsive behavior, including suicide.” (para. 6)
The above mentioned reasons as well as sad statistics about juvenile suicides should not be ignored any more since they may concern any of us. We as community should try to protect our children from these terrible situations and pain that they suffer from. Teenagers spend half of their time at school, so teachers and psychologists need to be vigilant and be ready to give hands to them. If teens see that there are people around who can help them, I think we are able to save one’s life.
Croft, H. (2016). Why do teens commit suicide? Causes of teens suicide. Retrieved from https://www.healthyplace.com/suicide/why-do-teens-commit-suicide-causes-of-teen-suicide/
Ivashenko, N. (2016). Kazakhstan zanimayet vtoroe mesto v mire po kolichestvu detskih suitsidov [Kazakhstan ranks the second in the world in the number of children’s suicides]. Retrieved from https://365info.kz/2016/08/kazahstan-zanimaet-vtoroe-mesto-v-mire-po-kolichestvu-detskih-suitsidov/
Shaw, J. (2017). Causes of teenage suicide. Retrieved from https://www.livestrong.com/article/130491-causes-teenage-suicide/
Zhanabayev, B. (n.d.). Kazakhstan: odno samoubistvo v chas [Kazakhstan: one suicide per hour]. Retrieved from http://www.yk.kz/news/show/5144?print