Suicide

I was intrigued when I read that although suicide; as we all know is one of the most tragic consequences of mental illness, it is actually the most easily compared across cultures. The diagnostic criteria around the world is well defined and statistics regarding suicide are kept. Another shocking statistic, that is happening in our backyard is the fact that in Canada, the suicide rate for First Nations adolescents is 5 times higher than that of mainstream adolescents. As a nursing student, I learned about mental health this year, and these statistics have me wracking my mind wondering "why?"

This past school year, I did a project on the lack of mental health services in high schools. I was shocked thinking back to how little I actually knew about mental health in high school. It is still so stigmatized, and it is important that we continue to educate ourselves on these important topics.