The American Psychological Association (APA) has published some very striking data about a topic that society does not value enough: suicide. In this regard, the United States has recently declared September, National Suicide Prevention Month.
This could be an unimportant fact, were it not for the fact that the suicide rate is increasing year after year, globally. Americans have increased their rate by 25% since 2000. For these reasons, psychology has a fundamental role to play from the first signs of depression. For this reason, it is necessary to invest in health specialists, as well as in research and dissemination. This is the only way to tackle the root of the problem and provide optimal solutions from the early stages of the crisis.
Main risk factors
In spite of what is believed, any person is susceptible to experience depression, both at school age and in more advanced stages. In any case, as with other disorders, acting early can be decisive in cutting symptoms.
What are the symptoms or early indicators that should alert us to the risk of suicide?
- Talking about disappearing, death or self-injury.
- Little interest in hobbies
- Having antisocial behaviors and avoiding gatherings with friends
- Taking unnecessary risks
- Becoming short-tempered, irritable, etc., or suffering from anxiety, having difficulties in making decisions, etc.
- Ignoring self-image
- Changing goals, routines or behaviors
- Suffering from insomnia, excessive drowsiness, nightmares, unstructured schedules
- Eating in an uncontrolled way, in a way that causes loss of appetite or anxiety.
- Low self-esteem, guilt and shame of being in a place
- Feeling hopeless about the future, as if nothing will ever get better
Prevention, the best option
Suicide is a serious problem, so it is vital not to ignore its importance. It is the second leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 15 and 24.
Although suicide and depression often coincide, they do not always go hand in hand. It is not always the case that someone who commits suicide was suffering from depression. Therefore, it is very important to use prevention as a tool, knowing the warning signs and seeing a specialist, if necessary.