Teens’ brains make them more vulnerable to suicide

Boston Globe

To address suicide among teenagers and young adults in the US, some researchers are focusing on new discoveries about brain development. Barry Feldman, director of psychiatric programs in public safety at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, points out that when a person becomes suicidal it is probably not due to any one problem or condition, but to a combination of risk factors and underlying vulnerabilities. “If you focus too much on just bullying or sexual orientation, you take your eye off the underlying vulnerability a kid may have,” he says. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are conducting two studies exploring whether some aspects of brain function in youth and young adults may contribute to such vulnerabilities. As a way to protect young people, Feldman encourages the active creation of family- and school-based systems that can help teens build caring relationships with adults.