The third leading cause of death among adolescents: suicideDid you know that suicide is currently the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States? (4). In 1992, more adolescents and young adults died by suicide than died from stroke, cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung diseases combined (4). Suicide is undoubtedly a major problem among the world's youth. United States Today. An estimated 300 to 400 adolescent suicides occur each year in Los Angeles County; which equates to one teenager lost every day (1). Many affected people ask: “What is happening? and “Why is this happening?” Among other things, some suicidal young people experience family problems that lead them to doubt their self-esteem and to feel unwanted, superfluous and misunderstood. According to one study, 90% of suicidal adolescents believed that their family did not understand them. Youth reported that when they tried to communicate their feelings of unhappiness or failure to their parents, their mothers and fathers denied or ignored their views (1). Suicide can be prevented; in fact, suicide prevention has saved more than ten percent of adolescents who have attempted suicide (1). In this article, I will prove that although suicide is a serious epidemic among adolescents in the United States, it is also preventable. “I’m depressed.” You might say it casually to refer to the sadness that engulfs you and then goes away. But depression is also a mental illness that may require help from an experienced professional(1). Depression has been considered the leading cause of adolescent suicide in the 20th century, affecting approximately eight million adolescents in North America (2). Recent...... middle of article...... Although the above facts about teen suicide are astounding, here are some positives about teen depression and suicide: The first The cause of adolescent suicide is untreated depression. Most suicidal adolescents respond positively to psychotherapy and medication. Nearly 90 percent of depressed people benefit from medication. Those contemplating suicide can be “dissuaded.” Sources WWW1) Teen Depression Homepage, a rich resource on how to prevent teen suicide http://www.teen -depression.info/2)Teen Depression Homepage teenagers, a rich resource on the causes of suicide.http://www.nami.org/Content/ContentGroups/Helpline1/Teenage_Suicide.htm3)Teenage Depression Homepage, A Personal Story About Teen Suicide teenagershttp://www.1-teenage-suicide.com/story.html4)Teen Depression Homepage, Suicide Factshttp://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/mental_health/suicide.html