Being socially connected may up suicide risk in teens

New York, Sept 10: The homogeneous culture and high degree of social connectedness of a community can contribute to teege suicide as well as thwart prevention efforts, says a study contradicting popular notions about being socially connected. “The findings highlights the downside to social connectedness, something that is usually touted as a key tool for suicide prevention,” said An S. Mueller, Assistant Professor at the University of Chicago in Illinois, US.

Community with its intense pressure to succeed, coupled with rrowly defined ideals about what youths should be, can perpetuate teege suicide clusters, in which a series of suicides happen around the same time and in close proximity. Fears of not living up to such ideals combined with the ease with which private information became public, due to social connectedness, leave teegers and their parents unwilling to seek help for mental health problems.

Despite having social connections within the community, such conditions rendered youths who were already struggling particularly vulnerable to suicide, the researchers explained. “Our study also helps explain why some schools with intense academic pressure have problems with suicide while others do not. It’s not just the pressure, but a combition of certain community factors that can make asking for help even harder,” Mueller added. (IANS)