Young Deaths: Suicide vs Violence

Why do some young people take their own lives, while others meet violent ends? Researchers set out to find the common threads and differences between suicide and sudden violent death (SVD) among youth aged 10-25. They looked at 63 cases of suicide and 62 cases of SVD, comparing these to 104 control cases. Interviews were done to gather data on mental health, psychosocial factors, childhood experiences, life events, and coping strategies. Those who died by suicide were less likely to be in stable relationships, had more mental health issues like depression and autism, and faced recent stressful events. They also struggled with adaptive coping. On the other hand, those who died violently were mostly males, had lower school performance, and were involved in drugs and criminal activities. They often had conduct disorders. Both groups shared some similarities: lower education, no job or studies, various addictions, past mental health care, and less effective coping skills. Preventing these tragic deaths needs a focus on childhood adversities, learning difficulties, meaningful activities, better coping, and addiction treatment. Suicide prevention should also target stress management, depression treatment, and support for youth with autism. For violent deaths, early intervention in learning problems, drug abuse, and delinquency is crucial, along with treating conduct disorders.