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Suicides in Bridgend, Wales
25 February 2008
The suicide deaths of 17 teenagers in and around Bridgend, Wales, since January 2007 has put the ugly subject of suicide back in the headlines across the UK and Europe as a whole.
Last weekend, representatives of the Samaritans took to the streets of the area to remind young people of the service they offer.
The situations has become so serious that local city councillors and others have been forced to defend the quality of life in their region, whilst admitting that the problem has reached serious proportions.
In his Social Comment on this site, Mal Fletcher says:
'There may be sociological and even economic factors involved in suicide cases, but the bottom line is that nobody commits suicide who feels they have sufficient reason to live.
'Suicide affects one person at a time - and nobody is beyond help.
'The good news is this: you can bring someone back from the brink of disaster. The process starts with recognizing the warning signs and treating them seriously.'
Mal's book 'Youth: The Endangered Species', published in 1991, dealt with the problems of depression, isolation and suicide among young people in Australia - at a time when that nation had one of the highest teen suicide rates in the world.
As the then head of Youth Alive Australia, a large youth outreach organisation, Mal was uniquely positioned to see how depression works against young people.
'Working with Youth Alive,' he says, 'showed me how big a problem youth depression and isolation can be; but it also showed me how young lives can be pulled back from the brink, through positive and proactive caring and a message of hope.'
The Social Comment piece outlines the major warning signs normally associated with suicide, and then looks in practical terms at how a friend or family member can help a troubled young person.
To read more, click here.
www.nextwaveonline.com