Killian Baarlaer

Mrs. Stalbird

English 1201

26 May 2019

Research Proposal

Mental health needs to be taken seriously by schools, parents, and peers because teenage

suicide rates have increased in recent years, actions are not taken until an accident occurs, and

because it will allow teenagers live a more pleasant life and pursue a better future, ultimately

proving the gravity of this issue.

Every winter I play in an indoor soccer league with some of my closest friends that I have

met in my years of playing soccer. It is always something I look forward to as I get to catch up

with friends I do not see very often, as well as play soccer in a fun environment. This year

seemed to be no different, and for the most part it was just as productive as it has always been.

There was one particular friend of mine who played on the team who has always been very

talented. He played just as well this year as he had every other, except his anger seemed to

override his joy while he was playing. He was more aggressive physically and with his words, as

he would speak disrespectfully to the opponent and the referee every now and then. Since this

was not a common occurrence, I wrote it off as competitiveness. One day we were playing the

second-to-last game of the season, and everything went as usual. We won the game and there

were no conflicts among anyone on the field. We all went on with the rest of our Sunday as

usual. Later that night as I was preparing to sleep, I received a call from my father that my friend

who I mentioned earlier had committed suicide. This was devastating news as I had known him
from a very young age, and I had seen him earlier that day. I had noticed nothing different about

him that day. That is what frightened me the most and made me realize how serious mental

health issues are. The high school which he attended began a movement to honor him as well as

to promote mental wellness. It is unfortunate that it took such a serious event to occur for me as

well as his school to raise awareness to this issue. It is for that reason that I would like to

research why it takes tragedies to occur for people to realize the importance of this issue. This is

something that I myself am very guilty of, and I would like to prevent in the future.

I feel saddened by the fact that people struggle with this issue, and that many people may

feel isolated and as if no one is there for them. I feel preconnected to this topic as well, having a

personal experience with the topic, as I spoke about above. I think this is a controversial and

heavy topic, but it is necessary to discuss due to its gravity. This is an issue that prevents people

from living a fulfilling life, which is something that everyone deserves a chance at. I believe this

is a topic that needs to be talked about and fixed immediately because it affects more people than

commonly known. This is more than just an issue of suicide, but also an issue of allowing

teenagers to have satisfying teenage years as well a successful future. I know that people often

hide their issues and that it often takes a tragedy for initiative to be taken. I also know that this is

a serious issue and that it can happen to anyone.

What I would like to know about this topic is how increased suicide rates, specifically in

teens, increased awareness of mental health issues among schools, parents, peers, etc? I would

also like to know the psychology behind why many people still do not take this topic seriously? I

would like to know statistics about the topic, as well as anecdotal examples so that I can have a

better understanding of the general topic as well as understanding extreme examples. When my

research is done, I would like to have a better understanding of the people who have committed
suicide or considered it. I will find the answers to these questions through mainly website, but

possibly books, that pertain to psychology and mental health. I will also be able to gain anecdotal

examples through news stories or videos. I may also look at interviews or stories written by high

schools, students, or parents about how their view on the topic have changed, in order to answer

my main research question.