Ecuador: Suicide third leading cause of death in adolescents between 12 and 18 years

Two cases: a 14 years off his life for his poor grades in the subject of Mathematics. His work in millimeter sheets were returned with circles written in red ink and notes saying “no good”. Next to the folder that filed the case rests Jorge Laura, 18. The fights between her parents home and beating his father continued his mother propinaba depress and eventually decide to swallow sleeping pills. He left a letter: “I’m going to not see you suffer.”

“These are extreme examples to the kids that come from being in a tunnel without end, without a solution,” says Emma Saad, Research Department of Lorenzo Ponce Psychiatric Hospital of Guayaquil. According to the psychiatrist, youth suicide behind everything there is a picture of severe depression, ignored by the parents. “It’s a problem that takes it very lightly and there is the tendency of parents to say that the boy attempts suicide to manipulate and draw attention,” says Saad.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), suicide has become the second leading cause of death among adolescents (12 to 18 years) in the world and first among the young (18 to 24 years). Read Article