Suicide and Youth: Positive Psychology Perspective

Abstract

Suicidality and self-harm among adolescents and young adults need immediate attention and support. This is often seen as a ‘cry for help’ where a feeling of entrapment experienced by individuals pushes them to see self-harm as a coping mechanism. Lack of social support and co-morbid emotional disorders influences suicidal ideation into planning and action. A general feeling of helplessness that gets triggered often leads to anguish. These emotions get internalized and directed inwards leading to self-directed anger which facilitates a suicidal act. Early detection and identification can prevent the loss of lives and help individuals to learn effective ways of coping. Gatekeeper Training for caregivers, teachers, and their peers will help in detecting the early signs of suicide risk. Intervention based on positive psychology will help not only in crisis management but also as preventive and maintenance therapy in holistic mental health. The concepts of hope, forgiveness, self-compassion, gratitude, and resilience can be incorporated into the intervention programs to build a better therapeutic system for youths dealing with suicidality. Practicing effective coping mechanisms every day and making it a ritual of one’s daily life is the need of the hour. Integrating adaptive ways of emotional expression and learning matured means to deal with painful emotions and trauma is what needs to be incorporated into the intervention plan. The chapter focuses on these aspects and aims to make a connection between assessing and easy identification of youths in distress related to suicidality and providing a holistic intervention to help them cope with the situation.