Peer / Social Stressors
Explanation | Story of Peer / Social Stressors | Examples of Peer / Social Stressors
Explanation
There are a number of peer and social stressors that can contribute to depression and suicidal behaviors. The Division of Psychiatry at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center provides examples of these stressors to help friends and family recognize potential warning signs.
Research shows that friends are the first chosen sources of support for teenagers. Therefore, it is important that teenagers know how to recognize signs of depression and suicidal behaviors in their friends and talk to them in a helpful way, as well as know where to go for help. (See Tips for Talking to Someone Depressed / Suicidal and Crisis Contact Information.)
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Story of Peer / Social Stressors
Janie is an honor roll student who has always been active in sports and is the captain of her varsity team. When she turned sixteen, she started dating the guy she always dreamed about, and she also got a job. However, there just was not enough time for Janie to do everything that she wanted to do, so she began getting less sleep. Eventually, she started feeling more stressed out and anxious. She had always avoided cigarettes, drugs and alcohol, but decided to try smoking when her friend told her it helped her feel more relaxed. However, after her mother found a pack of cigarettes in her car, she decided to quit.
After that, Janie began drinking alcohol and smoking pot in response to her stress. It didn't seem like a big deal because a lot of her friends drank and smoked at parties and seemed to do fine. Janie managed to spend the night at her friends' homes whenever she drank or smoked so her mother wouldn't find out. However, Janie's behavior began to change. She became more irritable and began fighting with her boyfriend. She had less energy to do all her work and her grades began dropping. She didn't feel like going to practice after school anymore and tried to drop out of sports, but her parents pressured her to continue, hoping she would get a sports scholarship for college.
Janie's parents tried to get her to quit her job and even offered to pay for her gas if she stayed in sports, but she liked having the extra money and continued working. However, Janie soon began thinking she couldn't deal with all the pressure and started having thoughts of wanting to die. She was ashamed to tell anyone how she was feeling because everyone always looked up to her and thought she had it all together. Janie now has major depression and is at risk for suicide.
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Examples of Peer / Social Stressors
- Stressful life events often precede a suicide. Often the life event occurs at a time when the person is struggling, turning this life event into "the straw that breaks the camel's back." In Janie's case, a break-up with a boyfriend or death in the family could precipitate a suicide attempt.
- A rejection -- such as a break-up with a girl / boyfriend
- Disciplinary crisis -- could involve legal problems, or a crisis at home or school
- Humiliation -- being dishonored in some way
Gossip Teasing / bullying Impressing others Peer pressure Pregnancy High pressure to succeed -- i.e., feeling pressured to excel or thinking one cannot meet up to others' expectations School -- Children need to feel supported and connected at school. In fact, school connectedness is a protective factor against depression and suicide. If a child feels he is being picked on or singled out by teachers or others at school, he is at risk for depression. Perfectionism -- Many suicide victims were perfectionists, having rigid thinking. A perfectionist has "all or none" thinking, which is thinking they have to be "perfect" or they are no good at all. Of course, since no one is perfect, a perfectionist will often feel like a failure or no good at all.Back to Top
