Leading Cause Of Death In Teens
Teens are some of the healthiest people in the world. Many of the things that happen to them are a result of their own misjudgment. The three leading causes of death among teens ages 15 to 19 years are injury and accidents, homicide and suicide are discussed here.
1. Injury and accidents
Injury and accidents are the leading cause of death in teens. Of the deaths recorded in 2003, about 50% were from accidents (teens drink and do something crazy like dive into a pool with no water) and accidents (with almost 40% of these deaths being from motor vehicle crashes). Because the middle teen (ages 15-17 years) feels omnipotent, like nothing will happen to them, they are more than willing to take big chances with themselves. They push the envelope because their brain is not good at calculating the consequences of their behavior. No surprise the age that is most at risk for car accidents, 16-19 year olds, is four times more likely to crash in any given mile of road.
2. Homicide
Homicide is the second leading cause of death among teens. Teens gain access to a weapon in a family’s home or on the black market and brandish it with someone who is hurting them, or accidentally have the gun go off while standing in front of a friend. Gangs, bullying or other forms of violence are all related to the assaults experienced by teens. Gang violence accounts for 75% of teen murders with firearms being used in 80% of the assaults leading to homicide. In some urban communities, this is the leading cause of death among teens making injury and accidents, the second leading cause.
3. Suicide
Suicide is the third leading cause of death among teens. Twenty-five percent of 9-12 graders said they reported feeling sad or hopeless every day for an extended period of time the previous year. Depression is the leading cause of suicide behavior in youth and can also cause decreased academic performance and social stunting according to reports at the Surgeon General’s Conference on children’s mental health. Middle school is one of the first times you may see depression in your teen. Girls tend to be affected more than boys, but please don’t forget the boys. They too present with signs of depression although theirs may look more like anger. Anger is an acceptable emotion for teen boys than depression, which sounds weak, but don’t be fooled..it is still depression.
Depressed teens exhibit symptoms that others may find annoying, but are nonetheless important signs of depression: The inability to concentrate can look like a space cadet or a ditzy teen; The lack of motivation can look like a lazy teen; and eating too much can look like an overweight teen overeating while eating too little can mimic anorexia. These signs of depression are very similar to dysthymia, a chronic form of depression, that also carries a risk of suicide behavior.
The most amazing thing about this list is that every last item is preventable. Every issue is preventable. No matter how painful some of the issues are to think about especially as it pertains to your teen, asking your teen about them is the only way we know to prevent them.
Resources:
1. Injury and accidents in teens.
2. CDC information of teen death.
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