In recent years, we frequently come across news of suicide attempts in different ways in the media. We encounter individuals who attempt to end their lives by overdosing on medication, shooting themselves with a gun, hanging themselves, or jumping from a high place. Suicide cases are one of the most important causes of death not only in our country but all over the world. According to the World Health Organization, suicide is among the top ten causes of death in society. Suicide ranks second among the causes of death in the 15-24 age group. People who attempt suicide may truly want to die, or they may also aim to express their mental pain, helplessness and hopelessness through this behavior. Although suicide cases are lower in our country than in western societies, there is an increase in suicide rates, especially among young people. A study conducted among university students in our country found that 42% of young people had thought about killing themselves at some time and 7% had attempted (1). This rate tells us that suicide is a situation that requires great attention in young people. As mental health professionals, we advocate that the thought of killing oneself, even just once, should be taken into consideration. In fact, a study showed that expressing the idea of suicide is an important factor predicting suicide attempt (2). Therefore, if there are people close to you who have thoughts of killing themselves, it is very important to inform them that they should consult a specialist as soon as possible to prevent suicide.
Why a person wants to end their life, the risk for suicidal behavior. The factors have been investigated in many studies. First of all, studies conducted in adults have shown that there is a significant relationship between hopelessness and suicide attempt. This means that as the person's level of hopelessness increases, his tendency to commit suicide becomes greater. People who have no hope for life can end their lives more easily. Based on this, we can say that depression is the mental disorder most associated with suicide. Because feelings of hopelessness and helplessness come to the fore in a depressed person. In addition, suicide It is known that the contributing factors are factors such as family problems, problems with a boyfriend or girlfriend, distressing life events, substance use, migration, psychiatric diseases, living alone, and low socioeconomic level (4). These factors increase the tendency to commit suicide.
It has been reported that approximately two-thirds of suicide attempts in adolescents are carried out with motives other than the desire to die. Here suicide may show an impulsive feature. It is thought that the main motivation may be to impress others, attract attention, convey love or hate, or escape from an unpleasant situation (3). Parental attitudes have an important place here. Parents who establish a safe relationship with the adolescent allow him to express his feelings. Families are obliged to make the adolescent feel that he or she is loved unconditionally, no matter what. Allowing the adolescent to share the negative situations that happen to him instead of avoiding them and looking for solutions together makes the adolescent feel that he is not alone. It may be more difficult for the adolescent to explain his problems to punitive parents, and this may cause the adolescent to become increasingly isolated.
Another factor that leads to suicide may be the inability to verbalize emotions. A person may use suicide as a form of self-expression. He may have revealed the conflicts he could not express to those around him through suicide. People who have difficulty recognizing and defining their emotions may be more prone to suicide. Enabling young children to recognize and express their emotions has an important place in overcoming these difficulties in later ages.
In summary, recognizing suicidal thoughts before suicidal behavior is of protective importance for the person's life. Parents should definitely seek help from a specialist when they realize that their child has an action or thought about harming themselves.
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