Is+your+risk+factor+on+your+sleeve?+'Jeremy'+and+the+issue+of+youth+suicide

Name: Bec Andrews Student number: n4756827 Tutor: Michelle Newcomb Tutorial: Friday 9am

=__Artefact__=

This track, entitled ‘Jeremy’, was recorded by Pearl Jam, a Seattle grunge rock band working from 1990 to present day, and was released as a single in 1992. The song and accompanying film clip depict the story of a school boy who, after enduring vilification and neglect from those around him, commits suicide in front of his class by shooting himself in the head. The inspiration for this song was the death of a 16 year old boy named Jeremy from Richardson High School in Dallas, United States of America, who tragically took his own life in a similar fashion as his teacher and classmates looked on. The subject matter of the song is appropriately placed within the first album of a second-wave grunge rock band, whose genre is a part of a movement dealing with societal norms and isolation.

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=__Public Health Issue__=

The public health issue represented by this artefact is youth suicide and includes references to the risk factors for suicide by way of narrative. The lyrics allude to issues at home as a source of Jeremy’s psychological damage, as well as a lack of sympathy, empathy and attention from the other people in Jeremy’s life, including teachers and peers. The film clip depicts symbols of rage with images of fire burning and children humiliating Jeremy, along with many scenes of Jeremy alone; scared, running and hiding. The message of this song is that all levels of society need to be more aware of adolescents experiencing emotional distress in order to prevent suicide in adolescents, as well as in adults later in life. In the film clip, Jeremy is depicted as both passionate and stoic throughout the narrative, illustrating the diverse emotional struggle that is taking place and the notion that emotions can be externalised or internalised, however, both are equally important.

=__Literature Review__=

According to the data, males are more likely to suicide that females (ABS, 2007; Eckersley & Dear, 2002) and the Australian male youth suicide rate has tripled in the 50 years preceding 2002 (Eckersley & Dear, 2002). In 2008, suicide was the leading cause of death of adolescents in Canada and the third leading cause in the US, as well as worldwide (Kutcher & Szumilas, 2008; Molina & Duarte, 2006). These statistics necessitate significant consideration regarding youth suicide as a public health issue, the foremost management strategy of which being identification of the risk factors.

The first of these is mental illness. According to the 2007 National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing (ABS, 2007), in Australia, 26% of those aged 16 to 24 had experienced a mental disorder in the past 12 months; this rate was higher for youths than for any other age group. This demonstrates that mental illness is a significant burden to our youth, and something that cannot be taken lightly. Studies have shown that most people who die by suicide had previously suffered from a mental illness, with previous incidences of self-harm constituting a major risk (Hawton & van Heering, 2009).

Along with mental health disorders, a family history of suicide seems to be the most significant risk factor for youth suicide (Kutcher & Szumilas, 2008). Previous suicide and self-harm attempts, age, gender, education failure, body image, ethnicity, access to lethal means (i.e. handguns), drug consumption habits, sexual relationships and participation in community/sporting activities all affect the risk of adolescent suicide (Molina & Duarte, 2006).

Social issues also contribute significantly as risk factors to adolescent suicide with social attachment playing a vital role for all age groups, but especially in younger people. Suicide rates can be viewed as a measure of social attachment within a community: The more social capital within a community, the healthier (Mignone & O’Neil, 2005), with the quality of social networks within a society proving to impact greatly on the behaviours of the people. Eckersley and Dear blame society, alleging that “increased youth suicide reflects a failure of Western societies to provide appropriate sites or sources of local identity and attachment…[promoting] unrealistic or inappropriate expectations of individual freedom and autonomy” (Eckersley & Dear, 2002). This viewpoint is akin to Dukheim’s (1897) theory, which suggests that suicide is a societal problem, stemming from too much or too little cohesion or attachment within a community. He describes egoistic suicide as occurring when an individual is allowed too much freedom within a society leading to the absence of close ties to the group (Puffer, 2009) and fatalistic suicide as a consequence of oppressive regulation within a group. These two concepts of suicide come down to support and control for an individual within a community (Thorlindsson & Bjarnason, 1998).

Adolescence is often a tumultuous time when individuals feel as though they have no control over their own lives as they mature and begin to more fully understand the complex interactions of society around them. Evans, et. al. affirm that a “sense of control over immediate environment factors is related to increased suicide risk (Evans, et. al., 2005); this perception sometimes referred to as an external locus of control (Spann, 2005). The idea that there is very little under the control of the individual, can be a daunting concept and particularly in this day and age with consumerism flourishing, the notion that so many available ‘choices’ inevitably are ineffectual can lead to a sense of helplessness and depression. This feeling can be magnified within ‘oppressive’ environments (from the adolescent’s perspective) such as home and school. The school environment, as one the most influential social experiences for most adolescents, functions as a micro-society with its own culture and sub-cultures, and is therefore an appropriate context for analysis.

A great deal of the contemporary data on youth suicide comes from public and private studies and surveys that explore the quality of life of adolescents, often gained though school-based, voluntary surveys (as in the case of Evans, et. al.) or longitudinal studies (e.g. Han & Miller, 2009) funded by national-level public health stakeholders. However, there are limitations to these methodologies. One of the obvious practical/logistical issues of such surveys is issues with school attendance, that is, those who are more likely to indicate higher levels of depression or feelings of isolation are less likely to participate in voluntary surveys or attend school, etc. The other significant limitation of data collection stems from the nature of the subject. Often attending medical practitioners may report a death by suicide as by some other cause, either out of respect/sympathy for the family or due to bureaucratic issues within the health system (Cooper, 1995). This leads to skewed results in statistical analyses and an inaccurate picture of depression as a disease burden.

=__Cultural & Social Analysis__=

Durkheim’s theory of suicide includes analysis of both cultural and socio-economic influences on the individual within society. However, when analysing youth suicide specifically, it seems that there is a “greater correlation with …cultural factors than with socio-economic factors” (Eckersley & Dear, 2002). These cultural forces manifest on micro and macro levels within a community or society. An appropriate example relating to the artefact displayed above would be the community’s attitude toward firearms and their accessibility. Molina and Duarte (2006) have described a high correlation between access to a handgun, education, and male gender. This ties in with the widely reported phenomenon that sees females attempt suicide more often than males, but due to the higher degree of violence in the chosen method of suicide, males more often succeed (ABS, 2007, Eckersley & Dear, 2002, Molina & Duarte, 2006).

Other micro-level cultural influences include family dynamics and routine. A study has shown that a higher incidence of night work by mothers, which often results in a “lower quality of home environment and fewer meals together”, is correlated with a high incidence of depression in adolescents (Han & Miller, 2009). The natural resulting questions are “what about the father, why is he not contributing or factoring into the family environment?” There are several factors that could explain this, such as the incidence of single-parent families in the surveyed region, however the significant finding from this study is that decreased “family time” correlates with an increased incidence of depression in adolescents.

Mignone and O’Neil (2005) have identified “symbolic resources” such as parenting, education, relationship and conflict resolution programs (on a smaller scale), as well as culture and language (on a larger scale) as important factors to nurture within a community in order to decrease feelings of oppression and detachment in adolescents. While some of these factors can be addressed relatively easily, there are greater cultural forces in play that influence the rates of youth suicide and depression around the world. In recent history, it has been asserted that youth suicide is linked to the increasing divorce rate (Cebula & Zelenskaya, 2006), a phenomenon resulting, perhaps, from the women’s liberation movement of the 1970s and the gender’s refusal to remain in oppression (from relationships, work environments, etc.). It is possible that this contribution to an unstable home environment is a major impact on the rate of youth mental illness, in particular in affecting the rate of male suicide as they grow confused or threatened by the changing gender roles.

Other social changes have stemmed from war times, where typically the suicide rate decreases, however during the Vietnam War, the youth suicide rate was reported as increasing, inexplicably. Additional factors contributing the changing cultural climate with relation to adolescence are the concept of an adolescent as a category of human development (Ben-Amos, 1995), which has been progressing since the Middle Ages; as well as the rise in consumerism, fostering a (modern view of) premature progression from child to adulthood (Hill, 2011). These cultural forces pull adolescents in many directions, making the world a confusing and demanding place.

Awareness of this issue is important. Obviously, the less we know about youth suicide, the harder it is to combat; however awareness is only the first step to problem solving. The more we discuss suicide and suicide prevention programs, the less stigmatised the issue becomes. This includes in family, school, peer groups and community environments, as well as in the media. The Australian Press Council Standards relating to suicide (2011) indicates that general reporting of suicide can assist with creating and maintaining public awareness of suicide and have a comforting affect on those considering suicide, however more specific reporting of the location or method can encourage suicide and should be avoided.

The public health focus should be on implementing systems counselling programs and creating a culture of acceptance of mental illness. Despite the fact that the youth suicide rate is lower than for other age groups, if the youth rate is ignored it will only increase exponentially as the population ages, therefore the problem needs to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

= = =__Analysis of artefact and learning reflection__=

The audio track and film clip above represent the outrage that Jeremy feels as a result of his emotional neglect and isolation. The lyrics put the listener in the shoes of the class, rather than the protagonist, which serves as a reprimand to society that more attention should be payed to those in need. The words of the chorus “Jeremy spoke in class today” are a chilling and perhaps passive aggressive message from the band, urging society not to ignore those who need help. The poignancy of the words are achieved by describing a human being that was so troubled that he could not speak, finally saying what he felt in the most tragic means imaginable.

Eddie Vedder, Pearl Jam’s lead singer, was rumoured to have written the song upon hearing the news of the real life suicide of Jeremy, and therefore the inspiration seems apparent, however the song is extremely appropriate when considering Jeremy as a ‘poster child’, that is, a character that embodies a majority of the risk factors of youth suicide. In terms of the context of which this character is placed, again, inspiration is derived from the real life event. However as previously mentioned, school has a major influence on many adolescents and is therefore a fitting backdrop for a demonstration of this type. Because society is more used to seeing this type of social issue in lower socio-economic environments, ethnic minorities or in physically abusive homes, the fact that Jeremy appears to be a white, middle class child serves to demonstrate that this issue is not reserved for those who wear their risk factors on their sleeve, so to speak. Jeremy tells us that we as a society need to be more astute and sensitive to the subtle, non-verbal messages from adolescents.

This artefact is a reminder to me to be sensitive to both the verbal non-verbal cries for help I may receive from those around me, a message that I’m sure will prove of particular importance to me in the future as I enter the workforce as a paramedic. This assessment has allowed me to gain a more thorough understanding the complex issues of mental health, determined by all levels of society and changed constantly throughout history, instead of viewing suicide within a purely ‘medical’ context.

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=__References__=

Ben-Amos, I. (1995). Adolescence as a cultural invention: Philippe Ariès and the sociology of youth. //History of the Human Sciences// //, 8 // (2), (p. 69). Doi: 10.1177/095269519500800204

Cebula, R & Zelenskaya, T. (2006 ). Determinants of youth suicide. //The American journal of economics and sociology// //, 65 // (4), (p. 991). Doi: 10.1111/j.1536-7150.2006.00486.x

Cooper, P. (1995). The coroner's system and under-reporting of suicide. //Medicine, Science, and the Law//, // 35 // (4) , (p. 319). Retrieved October 31, 2011 from http://apps.webofknowledge.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/InboundService.do?SID=Y158d27GD1AN4nMfeHD&product=WOS&UT=A1995UT70800008&SrcApp=Summon&DestFail=http%3A%2F%2Faccess.isiproducts.com%2Fcustom_images%2Fwok5_failed_auth.html&Init=Yes&action=retrieve&SrcAuth=SerialsSolutions&customersID=SerialsSolutions&mode=FullRecord

Duarte, Rosa (2006). Risk determinants of suicide attempts among adolescents. //The American Journal of Economics and Sociology//, // 65 // (2) , (p. 407). Doi: 10.1111/j.1536-7150.2006.00456.x

Durkheim, E. (1897, translated 1952). //Suicide: A study in sociology.// (J. A. Spaulding & G. Simpson, Trans.) London: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd.

Eckersley, Richard (2002). Cultural correlates of youth suicide. //Social Science & Medicine// //, 55 // (11), (p. 1891). doi:10.1016/S0277-9536(01)00319-7

Evans, W., Owens, P. & Marsh, S. (2005). Environmental Factors, locus of control, and adolescent suicide risk. //Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 22//(3-4), (p. 301-319). Doi: 10.1007/s10560-005-0013-x

Han, W (2009). Parental work schedules and adolescent depression. //Health Sociology Review// //, 18 // (1), (p. 36). Retrieved October 31, 2011 from http://gateway.library.qut.edu.au/login?url=http:proquest.umi.com.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/pqdweb?did=1895150571&Fmt=1&clientId=14394&RQT=309&VName=PQD

H awton & van Heeringen (2009)  //. Suicide. The Lancet (British edition), 373 // (9672), (p. 1372). Doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60372-X

Hill, J. (2011). Endangered childhoods: how consumerism is impacting child and youth identity. //Media, Culture & Society, 33 // (3) , (p. 347). Doi: 10.1177/0163443710393387

Kutcher, S. & Szumilas, M. (2008). Youth suicide prevention. //Canadian Medical Association Journal//, // 178 // (3), (p. 282). Doi:10.1503/cmaj.071315

Mignone, J & O’Neil, J. (2005). Social capital and youth suicide risk factors in first nations communities. //Canadian Journal of Public Health, 96//(00084263), S51-S51-4. Retrieved October 31, 2011from http://search.proquest.com/docview/232004502?accountid=13380

Puffer, P. (2009). Durkheim did not say ‘”normlessness”: The concept of anomic suicide for introductory sociology courses. //Southern Rural Sociology, 24//(1), 200-222. Retrieved August 28, 2011, from http://gateway,library.qut.edu.au.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/docview/61779522?accoutid=13380

Spann, M. (2005). External locus of control as a predictor for suicide risk in African American teenagers. //ProQuest Dissertations and Theses//. Retrieved October 31, 2011 from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304997806?accountid=13380

The Australian Press Council. (2011). Standards relating to suicide. //Standards of Practice//. Retrieved 25 August, 2011 from []

Thorolfur Thorlindsson and Thoroddur Bjarnason (1998). Modeling Durkheim on the micro level: A study of youth suicidality. //American Sociological Review, 63 // (1), (p. 94). Retrieved October 28, 2011 from http://www.jstor.org.ezp01.library.qut.edu.au/stable/2657479

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