In the twenty-first century, suicide is looked at through the teachings of psychology and psychiatry, which have provided valid reasons for why suicide is an alternative for individuals. One reason why a person may commit suicide is due to his/her age and interestingly adult males have a higher suicide rate than young adults. Among adults, suicidal behavior is often related to a long term, chronic personal problem such as depression or a medical illness (Lester 106). On the flip side, young people face a number of issues as they grow up such as the pressures of fitting into their social surroundings, and not being labeled as an outcast. These pressures can lead to confusion or despair, which are leading causes in suicide. In addition, suicidal behavior among youth seems to be influenced by family situations. Conflicts with parents, like a parents misunderstanding of their kids or not accepting them, leads to suicidal behavior as well. Most importantly, it is easier to trace suicidal behavior among depressed adults because thy will be more lethargic, apathetic, guilt-ridden, whereas the traces in depressed youth is harder to read because they are less likely to show that they are depressed, although they may show that they are depressed by anger or antisocial behavior (Lester 102).

Research shows that race differences have a tremendous impact on a person’s decision to commit suicide. The syndrome of “black suicide” is sometimes related to family problems (Holmes 104). The frequent absence of a father in the family seems significant. An African American who comes from a family with no father may feel rage and despair that he will never have the love and support of a father. Furthermore, this results in the distress and confusion about an inability from adult relationships that will satisfy lingering childhood needs. Also, a black man is expected to take the hardships that life throws at him and deal with it without breaking down or complaining. Another theory about the rise in the suicide rate among black males is that it is a result of integration and the rising status of African Americans (Holmes 104). This idea is based on the notion that as blacks become more absorbed into the white culture, they lose their family, religious, and cultural ties. Before integration, black families were more intact, they lived in together in more closely tied communities and they shared resources. As blacks became more integrated, they have had more rights, but perhaps they also suddenly found themselves in a world they did not understand well and one in which they had to compete against both white and black people. Amongst whites, there is a higher rate of suicide than there is with blacks. Some researchers argue that white males lack the resilience and coping mechanisms that make black individuals less prone to suicide (Holmes 106).



References:

Holmes, Ronald, and Stephen Holmes. Suicide: Theory, Practice, and Investigation. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications, 2005.

Lester, David. Making Sense of Suicide. Philadelphia: The Charles Press, Publishers, 1997