Research Paper on Suicide Prevention as a Social Justice Issue

Introduction

The film is a music video for the song 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid. It revolves around a young boy who is in high school and is an athlete. The boy discovers that he has a crush on another boy. When he gets home from school, an unaccepting father meets him. He, thus, realizes that people close to him including his family are homophobic. He also experiences bullying at school. As a result, he struggles with acceptance issue, which makes him feel suicidal. He is also lonely to the extent his coach approaches him with some food and tries to comfort him. These aspects form the backstory to the song's ominous lyrics: "feel like I'm out of my mind/it feels like my life ain't mine...I don't wanna be alive...I just wanna die today." The climax of the video comes when the boy reaches for a gun to finally commit suicide. However, he changes his mind and declares that though he feels lonely, he does not wish to die anymore. Instead, he calls a number on his phone. Later, the video flashes forward to a future where the boy is a grown-up man wedding another man. His father perception has changed because he congratulates for marrying. The video ends with the pair raising a child.

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I chose the song because, first, this month hosted the National Suicide Prevention Week. As a result, I thought that this is the right moment to talk about a topic that mainstream channels seem to avoid. Further, the song is recent and its message is a relevant one. Additionally, some people close to me, including my sister and some friends, have attempted to commit suicide. I also felt depressed when I was in high school. Hence, I understand first-hand that depression can cause a person to develop suicidal feelings. I also work with middle school girls who endure bullying and have developed low self-esteem. Family members have sexually abused some of these girls too. When I contemplate all these issues, together with the high number of people committing suicide nowadays, the songs become a great source of hope and advice. The song's core message is that people dealing with problems that drive them to feel suicidal, should not suffer alone. They should share their stories with others. The song also advises the society to be receptive to people's problems just as we see the boy's coach approach him with a snack and they seem to strike a constructive talk. In sum, I want to raise awareness over the issue of suicide and the mental factors that contributes to it, which include mental illness and depression.

The Advanced Generalist Practice and Programming (AGPP) have broadened my perspective and influenced me to conclude that working towards suicide prevention requires everyone in the community to positively influence and change the trajectory of the lives of people suffering from suicidal feelings. In addition, if people feel dejected, it is important for them to speak to those they trust about how they are feeling. We also need to change the language when talking about suicide. The systems that deals with prevention of suicides also need to change by becoming more engaging to different communities.

As a social worker, I have learned that it is impossible to predict what is going on with people's lives without engaging them from a point of trust. Since no one knows what truly goes on behind other people's lives, I will strive to create confidence with my clients. I will also make sure to build great relations with my patients this year. That is because I truly want to stand by their sides and give them continuous support especially if I know they are having suicidal thoughts.

In my field, I will be working with Hispanics. I know, from personal experience, professional mental health intervention programs tend to overlook Hispanics and other minorities' needs. Despite the existence of culturally specific support systems, many minorities (who include the LGBT group), still, experience discriminatory treatment from professional mental health care plans. That makes them choose to suffer in silence and shame about their mental health issues. Based on false assumptions, many health professionals and health services end up, intentionally or unintentionally, catering to predominantly white consumers. It is, therefore, my duty as a professional social worker to engage stakeholders such as government agencies and mental health professionals into an honest discussion. The discussion will involve the need for them to dispense mental health care and support services to all people without considering political, social, or economic backgrounds of a patient. The members of the society should also know that they are the first line of support for people suffering from all forms of mental problems. As a result, it is up to them to put in place intervention measures, such as community counseling programs, that are open to all people regardless of their sexuality, political alignments, or race. Last,the onus is on the community members living with people suffering from mental issues should reportabout those they suspect suffers from suicidal thoughts to relevant authorities to allow for intervention steps to be taken.

References

LogicVEVO. (2017, August 17). Logic - 1-800-273-8255 ft. Alessia Cara, Khalid [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb24RrHIbFk