Health
Understanding teen suicide and how parents can help
“The pain is indescribable,” Rachel Kehr began, her voice thick with sorrow. “You can't imagine outliving your child, and when it happens by suicide, it adds an extra layer of guilt and confusion. You're constantly asking yourself: What did I miss? What could I have done differently?”
Two years after the tragic suicide of her 17-year-old son, Kevin, an inexplicable pain still hangs over Rachel's household like a heavy shadow that never goes away.
The weight of the tragedy, compounded by unanswered questions and missed signs, still weighs on her family.
“Kevin was always quiet, wasn't he?” Rachel recalls, sorrowfully. “But now I think his silence wasn't just typical teenage moodiness.
It was a cry for help, but we didn't hear it,” she says. Her memories paint a heartbreaking picture of how unnoticed symptoms now stand out vividly in her mind.
Rachel, a mother of three, recalls how Kevin was busy at work in the months leading up to his death. During school holidays, he spent countless hours playing video games, immersed in the virtual worlds of his PlayStation. “I tried to talk to him but all I'd get were grunts or one-word replies. I ignored him, thinking he was just being a normal teenager – but I was so wrong,” she says.
Kevin's mood swings became increasingly erratic, and he would yell at his sister over trivial matters and then sometimes lock himself in his room for hours at a time.
Even Rachel's husband tried to reach out to him, but Kevin remained withdrawn and locked in his own world of pain.
“There were days when he seemed fine,” Rachel recalls with a note of regret in her voice.
“He would joke with us at dinner or play video games with his cousins. Those moments gave us a false sense of security, led us to believe that whatever was troubling him was temporary.”
Rachel painfully acknowledges that her son has struggled to cope with the separation from his father, which occurred three years before the tragedy.
Despite their efforts to hide it, the rift between them was obvious to Kevin in the form of frequent arguments and distance due to work responsibilities.
“Be careful, your child's life may depend on it,” Rachel says.
Dr Catherine Siengo Mutisha, a consultant psychiatrist with 20 years' experience and a passionate advocate for mental health, said teen suicide was an alarming problem and a growing concern in Kenya.
Citing the World Health Organisation (WHO), Dr Mutisha pointed out the grim statistics: suicide is now the fourth leading cause of death among young people aged 15 to 29, and the numbers are continuing to rise.
“Many parents are unaware of the warning signs,” explains Dr Mutisha, “Sudden changes in behavior, mood swings, and withdrawal from activities that once brought them joy are often overlooked, but these can all be signs of a more serious problem.”
An overwhelming amount of information
She emphasizes that today’s Gen Z and Alpha teenagers are exposed to a vast amount of information, much of it global, as well as influences from their immediate environment, such as family and school.
“They are absorbing content from all over the world and these experiences are dramatically changing their outlook on life,” Dr Mutisha added.
While this constant flow of information opens up new perspectives, it can also distort young people's view of reality.
“Social media often portrays an idealized life where everything seems perfect,” Dr Mutisha explains. “People rarely post about their struggles, which creates false comparisons. Teens may feel like their lives are lacking, worse than others, or simply not good enough.”
The resulting pressures have led to a surge in depression and social-behavioral problems, often catching parents off guard, who have little understanding of the enormous burden their children are carrying.
One of the biggest obstacles to addressing teen mental health, particularly in the African context, is the persistence of harmful misconceptions.
“Depression is dismissed as laziness and mental illness is still equated with insanity in many communities,” says Dr Mutisha. This lack of understanding is detrimental to early recognition and treatment of mental health issues, she adds.
Dr Mutisha stresses that successful interventions require the cooperation of the family, especially the parents. “It is crucial to include parents in the treatment plan, especially when treating adolescents,” she stresses. “We cannot ignore the powerful influence that peers and the home environment have on young people.”
Her team developed a framework for working with teens: the “four Cs”: Caring, Communication, Connection and Mindfulness.
These pillars guide treatment and support systems in suicide prevention efforts: “If parents have even the slightest suspicion that their child may be having suicidal thoughts, it is important to intervene immediately — don't wait until a tragic event occurs,” she advises.
Experienced counseling psychologist Joy Lango agrees, noting that teenagers are often good at hiding their true feelings.
“They may appear fine on the surface, but underneath that mask many are battling serious emotional turmoil,” Lango explains.
“If a once-active teenager suddenly starts withdrawing from social activities, changing their eating habits or experiencing persistent, unexplained body aches, these are signs that something may be seriously wrong.”
Rango stresses the importance of parents learning to distinguish between typical teenage mood swings and more serious, life-threatening concerns.
“It's normal for teenagers to have bad days or bad weeks, but if you notice that they're struggling to function well in different areas of their life – at school, with friends or with family – it's time to worry.”
Not a single factor
Rango said it's rarely a single factor that leads a teenager to commit suicide.
Instead, it's usually a complex mix of causes, including past trauma, mental health issues, stress at school, and personal struggles such as an identity crisis.
“Understanding these risk factors is crucial,” she says, “so we can understand when teens are more at risk and when early intervention is most needed.”
The stigma surrounding mental health is another persistent barrier to addressing teen suicide.
Rango is a passionate advocate of the need to dispel myths and misconceptions that impede open discussion.
“There's a misconception that talking about suicide might make young people have suicidal thoughts, but research shows the opposite is true,” she says. “Having honest conversations about mental health and suicidal thoughts actually reduces the risk of suicide and encourages young people to seek help.”
Although statistics on teen suicide continue to grow, Rango isn't losing hope. “Suicide is preventable,” she asserts. “Parents and guardians can make a big difference if they have the right support system in place.”
The challenge for many parents is striking a delicate balance between respecting their teen's need for privacy and ensuring their safety.
Rango recommends creating an environment based on trust and open communication, where teens feel comfortable raising concerns without fear of being judged.
Sources 2/ https://www.businessdailyafrica.com/bd/lifestyle/health-fitness/understanding-teen-suicide-and-how-parents-can-help-4770582 The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]