Suicide is a widespread cause of death in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2014), approximately 41149 people ended their lives in this way. Furthermore, the number of attempted suicides was even greater. In turn, it is essential to identify at-risk groups and recognize the typical symptoms exhibited by such individuals. This discussion can be of great use to many people. For instance, teachers should anticipate potential risks that can impact students. However, it is vital to remember that such tragedies can affect almost every family, and one should not overlook such threats.
Psychologists note that there are two age groups that are less resilient to the threat of suicide. In particular, they focus on the experiences of adolescents and people who are older than 50 (Rhoades & Murphy, 2015). Certainly, they have different motives for attempting suicide. For instance, teenagers can be affected by such issues as domestic abuse, divorce or bullying. Additionally, they exaggerate the significance of the problems that they encounter. In contrast, older people can struggle with such difficulties as loneliness, terminal illnesses, career problems, and so forth (Rhoades & Murphy, 2015). There are certain socio-economic characteristics that can distinguish people who try to kill themselves. As a rule, they are unemployed. Moreover, they do not have any close relatives. These individuals believe that they do not have to live for the sake of other people.
People should also recognize suicidal behaviors. For instance, much attention should be paid to mood swings. For example, at certain moments, these people can be in very high spirits. However, even a minor stressor can make them feel depressed. Moreover, they can even be reduced to tears. They also tend to increase the consumption of alcohol. However, they try to conceal such behaviors from other people. Apart from that, unprovoked aggression is widespread among such people. They can easily vent their spleen on their co-workers, relatives or fellow students. Thus, one should be knowledgeable about these behaviors to prevent the deaths of many people. Finally, such people often state that their lives are meaningless. Very often, they struggle with the sense of frustration.
Overall, one can take several steps to reduce the risks of suicide. In particular, parents should pay close attention to the emotional problems faced by their children. For instance, these difficulties can be caused by bullying. They should discuss these issues as soon as they notice the signs of depression or anxiety. Furthermore, school counselors should inform parents about possible suicidal behaviors. Apart from that, it is important to consider the role that can be played by employers. For instance, they enable workers to receive professional psychological counseling. Finally, community nurses and social workers can reduce the risk of such problems. They often work with old people who can be influenced by unemployment, poverty, and lack of social support.
Certainly, one cannot prevent every suicide; however, one can take various precautions that can minimize the risk of such events. In this case, counseling should be offered to those individuals who are in danger of killing themselves. There are certain attributes of people who are more likely to commit suicide. In particular, one should consider such aspects as the lack of relatives, unemployment, and poverty. These individuals are usually older than 50. The duty of community nurses and social workers is to help them overcome emotional problems.
Reference List
Rhoades, J., & Murphy, P. (2015). Clinical Consult to Psychiatric Nursing for Advanced Practice. New York, NY: Springer Publishing.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Suicide and Self-Inflicted Injury. Web.