Suicide
Suicide has been said to be a permanent solution to a temporary problem. It has been estimated for every successful suicide, there is between two hundred to three hundred people who will attempt it (Vannetta 1996). According to statistics provided by National Center for Health Statistics (2000) the suicide rate has increased almost three hundred percent. In the 1950's the suicide rate was 4.5 per 100,000. This rate has increased to about 11.1 per 100,000. Suicide happens every 17 minutes and is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States. It outnumbers homicides by 5 to 3 and has twice as many deaths as HIV/AIDS. At a ratio of 4:1, more men than women are successful at completing suicide; although more women will attempt suicide. The self may be an important link to why some of the population commits suicide. Self-concept is important in a person's ability to handle the little changes that threaten the norms of our individuality. "The relative strength of contingent and non-contingent components of the self-concept vary by age and sex, thereby, creating varying vulnerabilities to identify threat," stated Girard (1993 p.555). The gender differences are clear between men and women also. When committing suicide,
Suicide certainly falls within the realm of being a problem that stands out. Perhaps the avenue of expression each sex takes to attain their respective self-concept is a key to why so many people attempt or commit suicide within our society. We are brought up to succeed at everything we do in our personal and professional life. It is believed the family resemblance probably represents a vulnerability to depression, alcoholism, or other mental disorders, but there may also be a genetic factor involving the capacity to control impulses under stress. In horrifying contrast, the suicide rate of adolescents has tripled since the 1950's. Not only does suicide affect our elderly population, but has become the third leading cause of death in the age group of 15 to 24 year olds. Sometimes, the individuals who attempt or commit suicide see the act as a last resort from a set of circumstances frantically gone out of control. The only way to prevent suicide is to treat the emotional or substance abuse disorder of the individual. Girard (1993) reported women assign a higher ranking to noncompetitive interpersonal goals, such as helping others, more than men. The media can educate the public about suicide and suicide prevention by helping them to understand the causes of suicide and the roles played by mental disorders, substance abuse disorders, and other factors about suicide and suicide prevention. " The circumstances that appear in many people's lives can threaten the protective boundaries in place to promote personal well being. 57% of all suicides, both men and women, are contributed to firearms. Older adults make up approximately 13% of our population, they account for almost 20% of suicide deaths. The suicide rates of women remain constant at 6 per 100,000 (Web). The risk of suicide is about four times higher than average in close relatives of someone who commits suicide.
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