Adolescent Suicide and Adolescent Social Groups - Research Proposal Example

Affects of Adolescent Suicide on Adolescent Social Groups; A Symbolic Interactionist Approach RESEARCH PROPOSAL Problem ment Suicide is a complex phenomenon that has attracted the attention of philosophers, theologians, physicians, sociologists, artists and many others over the centuries. The impact of young suicide ripples out beyond the individual and their family to affect both other young people and those involved in their education and welfare. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults. In 2001, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 4,243 adolescents and young adults ages 10-24 took their own lives, resulting in a suicide rate of 7 per 100,000. In 2001, suicide accounted for 11.7% of all deaths for this age group. This makes suicide the third leading cause of death for adolescents and young adults after unintentional injury and homicide (NCIPC, 2004). The awareness about high frequency of suicides has become a major concern for young people. Different people have different perspective on this serious issue. Sociologists have sought to explain suicide in terms of societal conditions external to the agent’s innermost designs, and psychologists have attributed it to mental illness. Psychotherapists have peered into the mind of the suicidal person, seeking clues in the dark regions of the psyche, and neuroscientists have cut open his brain, in search of the biological malfunction. Clergymen have condemned it as a sin against God, and lawmakers have forbidden it as a crime against the state. Philosophers have defended every conceivable position on the moral spectrum, and have stretched or tightened the taxonomic extension of the concept in so many ways that, after sorting through the conceptual literature, one is almost at a loss for what exactly ‘counts’ as a suicide, on any given definition (Pianalto, 2002). Suicides among teenagers are a growing concern in the society. The teenage suicide rate has risen to crisis proportions over the past 20 years. Between 1957 and 1975, the rate of suicide among 15 to 24 year olds tripled; among Native American adolescents, the suicide rate increased 1000% (Teenagers in Crisis, l983). It is estimated that 5,000 to 6,000 teenagers kill themselves each year, and at least ten times that many attempt to do so (Lori, 1985). One of the major reasons sited for suicides among young adults id the stress factor. Teenage years are a time when normal levels of stress are heightened by physical, psychological, emotional, and social changes. Psychologists say that teenagers suffer a feeling of loss for the childhood and undergo a difficult period of change to their new adult identity. Nevertheless society alienates adolescents from their new identity by not allowing them the privileges and responsibilities of adulthood. They are no longer children, but they are not accorded the adult privileges of expressing their sexuality or holding a place in the work force. Another reason for the raising trend of suicides among the young is the increasing competition in the field of education, job, recognitions etc. The achievement-oriented, highly competitive society puts pressure on teens to succeed, often forcing them to set quixotically high personal expectations. There is increased pressure to stay in school, where success is barely defined and difficult to realize. In a prosperous society which emphasizes immediate rewards, adolescents are not trained to be tolerant of frustration. Indistinct gender roles can also be confusing and frustrating for teens (Rosenkrantz, 1978). Faced with these feelings and lacking coping mechanisms, adolescents can become overwhelmed and turn to escapist measures such as drugs, withdrawal, and ultimately suicide (Lori, 1985). Purpose of the Study This study is aimed to explore the impact of adolescent suicide on adolescent social groups such as fellow students, friends, and others. It is not intended to present a comprehensive overview of the scientific evidence relating to this issue, but rather, is focused on raising some of the key questions and concerns which are of relevance. This study will help in addressing some of the questions such as how is self-mutilation and suicide perceived within social groups of teenagers; is there an increased incidence of these behaviors after an occurrence; and is the phenomenon of adolescent suicide linked with psyche of the group, etc. The research is to be an exploration of the affect of adolescent suicide on members of the same social group. Ideations, perceptions, and attitudes toward the concept of suicide among high-school-age teenagers, specifically among their own social grouping, are to be explored. The main objectives of the study are as follows: 1. To understand and analysis the situations/circumstances/factors influencing the adolescents to commit suicide. This would aid to establish evidence of vulnerability factors in cases of adolescent suicide which can be used to develop preventive strategies. 2. To study the impact of suicides of friends/relatives of same age groups. 3. And to analysis if the suicides of adolescents are in any way linked with the psyche of the group. Methodology It is mainly based on a review of literature and interviews with students, family members, teachers, psychologists and other social groups involved in suicide prevention. The study is intended to incorporate perspectives from in depth interviews. This study would help us to understand the extent of increased risk and the precise connections with the suicides among young adults and the subsequent impact on their friends and other youngsters of the same age group. The outcome of this research would assist the extent to which interventions of help groups can effectively address these problems. This research is primarily based on published and unpublished documents. A qualitative research approach is selected for use in this study as it may provide a complete understanding of multifaceted social settings and a flexible and interactive process that would allow discovery of unexpected and unforeseen issues. Qualitative designs include an assurance to view events, actions, norms and values from the perspective of the people being studied. These features are essential in meeting the principal objectives of the study, particularly in the discussion of sensitive subject of suicide. Non-probability sampling will be used for flexibility purposes and to maximize the scope and range of variation in the subject of study. A range of individual and group interview techniques will be included in this study. The sensitive nature of the study topic is amenable to ‘the one to one’ setting of interviews. Focus group discussions with young adults will also be conducted in order to explore the role of group dynamics and peer pressure that could provide a better view and perception on suicides. These groups will be targeted with simple questions on the subject and will be recorded accordingly. Finally the data that is collected form the survey will be subjected to suitable statistical analysis. A few of the case studies will also be taken up individually. Review of Relevant Literature Suicide is a comparatively rare event with profound consequences. Research into suicide often aims to develop the identification of those who are more likely to take their own lives in order that preventive interventions can be appropriately targeted at this group. Work by Stanley and Manthorpe (2001) has found that a wide and diverse range of behaviors precedes suicide in young people. This finding is consistent with that of other studies which have recognized a large number of variables connected with young suicide and have highlighted the need for broad preventive programmes which target a variety of factors (Appleby et al, 1999). Studies on suicide clusters show that these involve a series of suicides in an area or institution over a limited period of time, they are more likely to occur among young people and there have been some well recognized examples of this occurrence on university campuses, including six suicides within three months at Michigan State University (Redfield Jamison, 2000) and several between 1992 and 1994 at Oxford University (Bell, 1996). Such clusters may be partly explained by a vulnerability to imitative behavior among adolescents and the elimination of some of the inhibitions that normally surround suicide when it occurs close at hand, but a failure to address the feelings evoked by suicide may also be relevant. This review will be built upon previous work by the researchers in this field. Adolescents’ suicide will be located within the literature and research on suicide which includes community studies and those studies with a mental health focus. International research which examines the impact of, and the response to, suicide within educational institutions will also be included. If we look at the factors that influence suicidal tendency depression is one of the top reasons for such act. Major depression effects one in fifty school children. Countless others are affected by milder cases of depression which may also affect school performance (Lamarine, 1995). The peak age of depression correlates with the peak years of low self-esteem. Feldman & Elliot (1990) write that the prime period for low self-esteem is early and middle adolescence with a peak period between the ages of thirteen and fourteen. The suicide rate in teenagers has quadrupled in the last quarter century making it the 3rd leading cause of adolescent death in the nation. A high school with a population of 2,000 students can expect 50 attempted suicides per year (Kahn,1995). Furthermore depression and other affective disorders continue to be an area primarily ignored by the public schools. One of the factors that make depression so difficult to diagnose in adolescents is the common behavior changes that are normally associated with the hormonal changes of this period (Lamarine, 1995). It has only been in recent years that the medical community has acknowledged childhood depression and viewed it as a condition which requires intervention and proper treatment. According to some research (Fritz, 1995) about 5% of adolescents suffer from depression symptoms such as persistent sadness, falling academic performance and a lack of interest in previously enjoyable tasks. In order to be considered major depression, symptoms such as suicidal thoughts, lack of appetite and loss of interest in social activities must continue for a period of at least two weeks (Arbetter, 1993). Studies have also found a correlation between major depression in adolescence and the likelihood of depression in young adulthood (Rao, 1994). Not only were most depressed adolescents depressed adults, but serious social adjustment problems plagued these individuals as they moved into adulthood. And there is evidence that depression in adolescents is likely to repeat itself within a year or two. In fact, two-thirds of depressed teens will be depressed again during their teenage years (Sanford, 1996). More than 90 percent of suicide victims have a significant psychiatric illness at the time of their death. These are often undiagnosed, untreated, or both. Mood disorders and substance abuse are the two most common (Robins, 1981). When both mood disorders and substance abuse are present, the risk for suicide is much greater, particularly for adolescents and young adults (Brent, et al. 1993). Research has shown that when open aggression, anxiety or agitation is present in individuals who are depressed, the risk for suicide increases significantly (Mann, et al. 1999). Social conditions alone do not explain a suicide. People who appear to become suicidal in response to such events, or in response to a physical illness, generally have significant underlying mental problems, though they may be well hidden (Barraclough, 1987). Research shows that, during the period immediately after a death by suicide, grieving family members or friends have difficulty understanding what happened. Responses may be extreme, problems may be minimized, and motives may be complicated (Ness, 1990). Studies of suicide based on in-depth interviews with those close to the victim indicate that, in their first, shocked reaction, friends and family members may find a loved one’s death by suicide inexplicable or they may deny that there were warning signs (Barraclough, et al 1974). Accounts based on these initial reactions are often unreliable. Risk factors are grouped here into personal characteristics, family characteristics, adverse life circumstances, and socio-environmental and contextual factors as was done by Gould and colleagues. (Gould et al., 2003) Since they are often unexpected and traumatic, adolescent deaths profoundly impact communities. With the increase in school shootings and youth violence, there is a growing need for communities to develop and implement a response plan when traumatic deaths occur. Yet, often times school personnel, such as teachers, counselors, and nurses are rarely reported by survivors as being supportive (Shriner, 2001). As a serious public health problem it demands our attention, but its prevention and control, unfortunately, are no easy task. State-of-the-art research indicates that the prevention of suicide, while feasible, involves a whole series of activities, ranging from the provision of the best possible conditions for bringing up our children and youth, through the effective treatment of mental disorders, to the environmental control of risk factors. Appropriate dissemination of information and awareness-raising are essential elements in the success of suicide prevention programmes (WHO, 2002). Limitations/Delimitations of the study The main limitation of this study would be the lack of proper records. The study on suicides it self is a very sensitive subject. It evokes emotions while recollecting the incidence of suicide of loved once which will be a difficult situation to handle. Being a sensitive subject family members and friends some times might not reveal several facts that may give a different perspective/turning point for this study. Summary The most central theme of this study would be an examination of the effects that are brought on among adolescent social groups, when acquaintances have committed suicide. The results from this study would help in formulating recommendations for different social groups starting from the family, education institutions, religious groups etc. to help group/individual coping methods. These recommendations would be of high significance as it will try to include all the aspects of suicide prevention. References Appleby, L. (2001) Safety First: Five-Year Report of the National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, London: Department of Health. Arbetter, S. (1993). Way beyond the blues. Current Health, 20, 4-11. Barraclough, B., Bunch, J., Nelson, B., & Sainsbury, P. (1974). A hundred cases of suicide: clinical aspects. British Journal of Psychiatry, 125, 355-373. Barraclough, B., & Hughes, J. (1987). Suicide: Clinical and epidemiological studies. London: Croom Helm. Bell, E. (1996) Counselling in Further and Higher Education, Buckingham: Open University Press. Brent, D.A., Perper, J.A., Moritz, G., Allman, C., Friend, A., Roth, C., Schweers, J., Balach, L., & Baugher, M. (1993). Psychiatric risk factors for adolescent suicide: a case-control study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 32 (3), 521-529. Feldman, S. & Elliott, G. (1990). Adolescence: Path to a productive life or a diminished future? Carnegie Quarterly, 35, 1-13. Fritz, G. (1995). Child, adolescent depression distinct from the adult version. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 11, 1-3. Gould, M.S, Greenberg, T., Velting, D.M. and Shaffer, D. (2003) Youth suicide risk and preventive interventions: a review of the past 10 years. Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry 42(4):386-405. Kahn, J. (1995). Adolescent Depression: An overview. (Available from the University of Utah Neuropsychiatric Institute, 501 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, Utah 84108). Lamarine, R. (1995). Child and adolescent depression. Journal of School Health, 65, 390-394. Lori, P.J. (1985) Teenage Suicide: Identification, Intervention and Prevention. Highlights: An ERIC/CAPS Fact Sheet. Retrieved on 26 March 2006 from http://www.ericdigests.org/pre-923/teenage.htm Mann, J.J., Waternaux, C., Haas, G.L., & Malone, K.M. (1999). Toward a clinical model of suicidal behavior in psychiatric patients. American Journal of Psychiatry, 156 (2), 181-189. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control [NCIPC]. (2004). Mortality reports database [Online Database]. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. [Available online at URL (5/04): http://www.cdc.gov/ncipc/wisqars/] Ness, D.E., & Pfeffer, C.R. (1990). Sequelae of bereavement resulting from suicide. American Journal of Psychiatry, 147, 279- 285. Pianalto, M.C. (2002). Suicide & the Self. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Philosophy to the University of Arkansas. Retrieved on 24 March 2006 from http://comp.uark.edu/~mpianal/Suicide&TheSelf.pdf Rao, U. (1994). Adolescent depression may lead to depression later in life. The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 10, 3. Redfield Jamison, K. (2000) Night Falls Fast, London: Picador. Robins, E. (1981). The final months: A study of the lives of 134 persons. NY: Oxford University Press. Rosenkrantz, A. L. (l978). A Note on Adolescent Suicide: Incidence, Dynamics and Some Suggestions for Treatment. ADOLESCENCE 13: 209-14. Sanford, M. (1996). Which teens will still be depressed a year later? The Brown University Child and Adolescent Behavior Letter, 12, 5. Stanley, N. and Manthorpe, J. (2001) Making Use of Hindsight -A Report of a Survey of Parents Whose Children Had Taken Their Own Lives, Hull: PAPYRUS and University of Hull. Shriner, J.A. (2001). Helping Adolescents Cope with Grief. Retrieved on 26 March 2006 from http://ohioline.osu.edu/flm01/pdf/FS10.pdf Teenagers in Crisis (1983): Issues and Programs. Hearing before the Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families. House of Representatives Ninety-Eighth Congress, First Session. Washington, DC: Congress of the U. S., October, l983. ED 248 445. WHO (2002). Preventing Suicide. Mental and Behavioural Disorders. Geneva. Read More