Social Media and Teenage Suicide

How Social Media and Teenage Suicide are Linked

Previously, I have written about the use of screens. My concern is how they can negatively influence the mental health of all of us, especially teenagers. Recently, it has been revealed that this is becoming a matter of life and death. More specifically, how social media and teenage suicide are being linked.

Image of a meadow on a summer's day

Alarmingly, around 200 British schoolchildren take their own lives each year. At a rate of more than one every other day, I was shocked to read this on the BBC website in this article. Another stand-out piece of information from the BBC is as follows. Due to the private nature of mobile phone use, parents are not up-to-date with the online persona of their children. As such, the type of content they are viewing is unknown. The video on the above BBC web page makes the point that disturbing self-harm or suicidal content is still freely and easily available to all.

Therefore, in some cases parents and friends of suicidal teenagers have no idea of deteriorating mental health. One cannot begin to the imagine the shock of discovering a dead child. So what can be done? How can we understand social media and teenage suicide?

Ways to Approach the Problem

To me there seem to be a number of different corners to the problem to smooth off in order make some headway. Initial thoughts might be to blame the social media companies – we live in a blame culture after all! Yes, there is definitely much they can do to improve the way in which harmful material is so readily available. As an optimist, I am sure there is plenty of work behind the scenes but it needs to be quicker and more effective. With all of today’s technology, how is it that a 14 year old can access suicidal images? Unacceptable.

However, can a teenager’s mental health deteriorate that quickly that parents and friends have no idea? Despite the confusing whirlpool of hormones that swish frequently through a young person’s body, we must regularly keep maintaining contact. By that I mean face-to-face interaction – let them know we are available to listen. Try to understand. It might appear to fall on deaf ears or is received with a grunt but on some level it will go in. Furthermore, there are always ways to connect with a teenager. As unlikely as this may seem, each personality will have a unique way in. This could be a board game, eating pizza in the car on the way home or buying an ice cream on a snowy day.

Conclusion, with Extra Awareness

Finally, by reading this article you are now hopefully a little bit more aware of the potential issue. Just this information will likely start-up your radar for signs of problems at home. Furthermore, if things seem unmanageable it is important to address issues through an open, sensitive and non-judgmental discussion with your teenager.

More help is available through the BBC Action Line, the Samaritans or personal counselling, please get in touch here.

Changing Mental Health Awareness

Changing Mental Health Awareness

Yesterday the BBC wrote about changing mental health awareness – have a read here. They published a kind of ‘top ten’ chart outlining the current view of the problem. One of the headline statistics is that one in six of the population have a ‘mental health problem’. This seems to be part of the issue to me. The problem being that if we are seen to have mental health issues, we are labelled in a different category to the rest of the population. The fact of the matter is that we all have mental health. Furthermore, it varies day-by-day and even during the day. It is OK that the quality of our mental health changes. That is part of being a human being.

 

Severe Mental Health Issues on the Rise

Mental Health Awareness imageLooking at those with ‘severe’ mental health issues, it does appear that cases are on the rise over the last 20 years. However, it is acknowledged that with a greater awareness of mental health, will come a greater reporting of the problems. Nevertheless, modern life is also quoted as having a responsibility in the increase of mental health issues. It seems, young people are especially vulnerable (read my post here) and many mental health problems become well established in youth.

As I have also written about here, male suicide is a major issue. It is perhaps the culmination of many years of severe mental health issues. Astonishingly, there are 6000 suicides in the UK each year. This high number can surely be reduced by raising the importance of discussing mental health and thereby reducing the associated stigma.

 

What is the Solution?

The BBC also report that antidepressant prescriptions are higher than ever. Furthermore, people are being left on the drugs for long periods of time. Subsequently, it is extremely hard to come off even to assess how the individual is feeling. Of course, prescriptions are far cheaper than the talking therapies but what good is being done in the longer term? That remains to be seen. As I mention here, diet and lifestyle are now being touted as effective in the treatment of depression. Also, I am a great advocate of physical exercise wherever possible.

Of course, being a counsellor I genuinely believe that talking (or counselling creatively) about our problems goes a long way to feeling better about ourselves. A positive knock-on is the changing mental health awareness within the client. Counselling may not always be the easiest route but often it can be the most effective and permanent solution. One aim of counselling is to help supply the individual with a set of tools that they can apply to life. Therefore managing most things that are thrown at that person is a matter of adapting the right ‘tool’, thought or action. Many times these become so instinctive they happen even without a second thought.

Please contact me if you would like to find out about having counselling sessions in Fishponds, Bristol.

Male Suicide Rates Falling

Unfortunately, there are many suicides around the world. Nearly three quarters of all suicides in the UK are from males, especially those in their late forties. However, whilst every death is ‘one too many’, the BBC report here that numbers are at their lowest since 1981. Male suicide rates are falling – this good news is very welcome. However, as a population more work is required to raise awareness of male mental health. In the past, society has dictated that men should ‘put a brave face on’ and ‘bottle-up’ strong feelings. Challenging this belief is a starting point to reduce male suicide.

If you are struggling, the Samaritans can be contacted 24/7 on 116 123 (UK and Ireland), jo@samaritans.org or their website.

If you have benefited from reading this post, please have a look at my home page and my blog. I offer counselling sessions, based in Fishponds (BS16) and central Bristol (BS2), at a pace that feels comfortable and safe.