Teenage suicide is a major concern

The rise in the number of suicides among youngsters is only indicative that their problems are going unnoticed, reports Deepa Suryanarayan

MUMBAI: Be it parental pressure, peer pressure or something as seemingly trivial as not receiving a new dress, Mumbai’s troubled teenagers, unable to cope with young life’s pressures, are resorting to extreme steps.  On Friday, with the fourth case of teenage suicide within a span of three days, psychiatrists in the city said it is imperative to counsel youngsters as they are the most vulnerable when they are entering their teens.

The rising incidents of suicide over trivial issues only indicate that there are problems simmering in the mind of the child, which had gone unnoticed for too long. A psychiatrist said a psychological post mortem, (analysis of the child’s behaviour over the past two years) on 12-year-old Swati Shengale, who hanged herself after being scolded by her aunt in Malad, or on Anu Vishwakarma, 18, who committed suicide in Thane after being denied permission to buy a new dress, would reveal the real reason behind the suicide.

“The incident before the suicide is often the final straw. But it is not necessarily the cause behind the child’s decision to commit suicide,” he added. “Most often, psychological, academic and relationship-related problems surface when a person enters adolescence. Couple that with internal hormonal and biological changes that occur in a person at puberty and what you get is a volatile mix of emotions,” said Dr YA Matcheswalla, psychiatrist at JJ and Messina Hospital.

“These youngsters do not know where to find a solution. And if the issues are not tackled, they try to find help on their own from peers, which may not necessarily be advisable,” he added. Dr Matcheswala suggested shifting an academically-backward child to an easier curriculum so that the child finds it easier to study.

“Where computers are concerned, it is essential to guide youngsters on how to go on the Net and where to go. Unfortunately, many parents are unable to control it,” said Dr Seema Seth, psychiatrist. “When children are taught to use computers, they should be taught how to use it correctly as well,” she said.

Dr PV Vaidyanathan, paediatrist and author of the book ‘Make Your Child Stress Free: Guide for parents on how to manage teenagers,’ agreed that today’s children, particularly teenagers, are under a lot of pressure and stress. “Pressure from the family, educational pressure, lifestyle changes are issues simmering in a child’s environment. Therefore it is all the more important for parents to be tuned in to their child,” he said.

“Besides, it is not a disease like typhoid or measles, which can be tackled with medication,” added Dr Vaidyanathan. “There are always signs and symptoms of abnormal behaviour, which parents either overlook or do not bother about.”

In his book, Dr Vaidyanathan mentions that the brains of teenagers develop in such a way that the centres which control the risk-taking beha iour, argumentativeness and recklessness,  are the ones that develop before the centre that  controls rational thought. Tha is why teens tend to be reckless.