When a young child commits suicide, everyone wonders how it could have happened. Could it have been prevented? Were there signs of trouble? Does this signal some kind of a trend? The suicide attempts of students due to poor results shows a kind of growing dissatisfaction and depression among children. According to a psychiatrist, high parental expectation was among the reasons the students attempted suicide.

More Than School Problems?
With a suicide, says a child psychiatrist, usually there are other related stresses in the child’s life, such as family conflict, depression, a recent change in living arrangements or parental drug or alcohol abuse. Stresses these problems cause, could probably have been treated in juvenile mental health programs that are available throughout the country.

A child who commits suicide, says a psychologist, probably was not adequately treated for depression. “The stigma associated with mental illness still prevents many people from seeking professional help. But support programs are everywhere”. Unfortunately, though, even professionals do not always catch the warning signs. Nurses, doctors and social workers, should pay more attention to the signs of suicide risk in children and adults.