In a recent episode of suicide at Punjab Agricultural University, there is a need to address the self-killing issue as it is increasing at an alarming rate.
Self-harm is a critical issue affecting up to 25% of young people ( ranging from 20 to 30 years of age) and can result in adverse outcomes including repetition of self-harm, suicide and mortality, mental health morbidity, poorer education, employment outcomes, and overall decreased quality of life.
Adults who live alone have an 80% higher chance of having depression than those who live with other people. Loneliness is a feeling associated with our relationships with people while depression is a general sense of feeling about everything.
There isn’t really any typical pattern of behavior for someone who is suicidal, but there are common warning signs. You may see one or more of these in someone contemplating suicide. These are the signs that are generally clear and easy to observe:
"Talking about dying or wanting to die
Talking about feeling empty, hopeless, or having no way out of problems
Mentioning strong feelings of guilt and shame
Talking about not having a reason to live or that others would be better off without them
Social withdrawal and isolation
Giving away personal items and wrapping up loose ends
Saying goodbye to friends and family," Says Dr. Tarlochan Singh Ph.D., Consultant Psychologist, and Psychotherapist. Head of Behavioral Health, Hunjan Hospital
The impact of social media on youth can also be significantly detrimental to mental health. In particular, social media and teen depression are closely linked. Furthermore, overuse of the apps exposes teens to cyberbullying, body image issues, and tech addiction, and results in less time spent doing healthy, real-world activities. In bright smiles and picture-perfect posts for social media, the inner giant is always going through some battle or war. Says Yugam Jain, Social Media Activist.
Several risk factors concerning family structure and processes have been linked to suicidal behavior in numerous studies. It is estimated that in 50% of youth suicide cases, family factors are involved. One important factor is a history of mental disorders among direct family members themselves, especially depression and substance abuse. Depressed teens may spend more time sleeping in bed than usual, or conversely, experience insomnia. You may also notice that your teen is eating more or less than normal.
While depression can cause tremendous pain for your teen—and disrupt everyday family life—there are plenty of things you can do to help your child start to feel better. The first step is to learn what teen depression looks like and identify signs and symptoms. Says Manrose Kaur, Post Graduated in Human Development.
"For students who go for their professional careers, there is no harm to it. But as parents, we should always try to be in touch with our children via technology. Video calls, Celebrating milestones and important days on WhatsApp group, and Sending Morning messages, all this will add flavour of warmth and closeness amongst family members. We should try to eliminate communication gaps". Says Anju Bhatia , Parent