1. Literature Review
Adolescent Suicide and Alienation
By Sunny Bossenmaier

2. Theobjective of this review is to explore the current complications ofadolescent suicide, and to
introduce the importance of alienation and parental relationships in intervention and prevention
strategies.
3. Suicide in adolescence is not just defined by its finality of life; it is characterized by years of
mental anguish and suffering that is prolonged, intense, and unmanageable.
4. The death leaves the family members, friends, and loved ones trying to make sense of what
appears to them to be a senseless act, and to deal with their own feelings of loss, guilt, and
shame without answers.
5. Statistics

Nationally, suicide is the third leading cause of death in fifteen to twenty-four year olds, tripled

since 1970

Ninety percent of those that die by suicide have been diagnosed with some form of mental

disorder including depression
(CDC, 2011)
6. Risks
Personal characteristicsinclude:
mental disorders . a history of a prior suicide attempt. substance abuse
personality factors. cognitive factors
7. Personal CharacteristicsRisks Continued
biological factors . demographic factors . race issues
8. Family related factors include:
Family RelatedRisks

History of suicidal behavior in the family

9. History of depression and substance abuse within the family 10. Family disruption or separation 11. Damaged parent-child relationships (Joiner & Ribeiro, 2005).
12. Adverse life situations include:

Stressful life events

13. Bullying 14. Legal or behavior problems 15. Childhood trauma(Joiner & Ribeiro, 2005)
16. Socio-environmental factors include
Peer relationships . Dropping out of school . Unemployment . Media Impact
Socio-economic status . Availability of lethal means . Social isolation
Barriers with mental health treatment
(Joiner & Ribeiro, 2005)
17. Protective Factors
family unity . community and social support . problem solving and conflict resolution skills
cultural or religious beliefs . self-esteem . self-awareness . availability ofa caring adult
effective clinical interventions
(Joiner & Ribeiro, 2005)
18. Methodology and Findings

Sample variation limits the ability to generalize to other situations

19. Research is needed to compare individual coping styles andthe relationship to amending risk factors.
20. Methodology and Findings Continued

Strengths impact different individualsat different times in different ways

21. Further empirical data is necessary in more universal situations, to make specific claims with the data collected
(De Man, 1999; Kakhnovets, Young,Purnell, Huebner, & Bishop, 2010; Taylor et al., 2011).
(Jiang, Perry, Hesser, 2010; Kaminski, Paddy, Hall, Cashman, Crosby, Ortega, 2009)
22. Interventions
School programs .Problem solving/ coping skills . Trainings and screening programs.
Emotional problems / family disruptionsupport . Fire arm restriction . Media influencetraining
(Kakhnovets, Young,Purnell, Huebner, & Bishop, 2010 )
23. Barriers to Effective Interventions
Stigma of mental illness and suicide . Financial barriers .Mental health system barriers
Fragmented services in rural areas . School-based programs lack communication with support
agencies. Lack of attention to the importance of family to the suicide prevention process
(Jiang, Perry, Hesser, 2010; Kaminski, Puddy, Hall, Cashman, Crosby, Ortega, 2009)
24. Strengths and Limitations of the Studies

Literature and research missing in certain demographic groups in regards to alienation

25. Lack of demographicvariationdoes not allow generalizing over populations(De Man, 1999; Kakhnovets, Young,Purnell, Huebner, & Bishop, 2010; Taylor et al., 2011)
26. Strengths and Limitations Continued
Researchfrom retrospect information
Datacan not be generalized over both populations
Not enough research to what degree of effectrisk factors have on the event
Questions to how effective prevention interventions are due to risk factor influence
(Joiner & Ribeiro, 2005)
27. Further Research

Ongoing investigation as to how suicideis influenced by the aspect of alienation

28. Morein-depth qualitative research in how geographic, demographic, and cultural aspects affectcoping skills 29. Which precise facet of school environment might bemost likely or most unlikely to prevent the development of suicidal behavior or impact the issue
(Jiang, Perry, Hesser, 2010; Kaminski, Puddy, Hall, Cashman, Crosby, Ortega, 2009)
30. Further Research Continued

Canboth the connectedness factor and suicidal thoughts and behaviors be influence by anothershared variable

31. Whether thoughts and behaviors related to suicide cause adolescents to become less socially connected 32. Need to see what biological differences there are between people who commit lethal suicide and those who are unsuccessful, and the relationship to alienationMazza, Flemming, Abbott, Haggerty, & Catalano, 2010)
(Joiner & Ribeiro, 2005)
33. Summary and Conclusions

Additional researchis neededto find interventionand prevention tacticsas childrenare committing suicideat the alarming rate of about 5,000 each year, with hundreds of thousands making the attempt.

34. The rate of deaths in children and young adults due to suicide will continue to grow as more lethal means for attempts are more accessible and the factor of alienation within families continues to skyrocket in our country.(CDC, 2011)
35. Summary and Conclusion Continued

School is where mostinterventions for adolescents are made.

36. Most school prevention strategies have focused on the aspects of connectedness to fellow students, teachers, or the academic environmentand ignored the important factor offamily relationship.