ABSTRACT
Hopelessness, consistently recognized as a primary predictor for suicide, provides the framework for this chapter. Faced with social, economic, and historical determinants of poor health, youth may be caught up in a cycle of events which cause psychological pain without the perceived or real opportunity for relief in the form of traditional medicine, mental health services, or social, economic, and political empowerment. Barriers to relief include stigma of mental health issues, intergenerational anger, and lack of psychiatric and in-patient services, especially for children.
