Understanding adolescent suicide: a psychosocial interpretation of developmental and contextual factors.
Adolescent suicide remains an international tragedy, yet a common denominator continues to elude researchers. Some adolescents internalize rejection and respond with suicide; other troubled adolescents engage in homicide before ending their own lives. One factor underlying suicide concerns the failure to construct a healthy identity. Using Erikson's theories on identity development as a framework, this paper examines the motives for and contexts of suicide among preadolescents, adolescents, and young adults, identifies specific school-age populations that are vulnerable to suicide, and discusses implications.
Portes
Pedro R
PR
Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University of Louisville, Kentucky 40292, USA.
Sandhu
Daya S
DS
Longwell-Grice
Robert
R
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms; D006801:Humans; D007062:Identification, Psychological; D008297:Male; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D012934:Social Isolation; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology*