When it comes to depression, more often than not, people, more specifically young adults, have someone to go to like their family, friends, and teachers. However, for the few who give in to depression, suicide looks quite tempting.

Alarmingly, new research has found that suicidal thoughts and behavior may start at a younger age than previously thought of. According to James Mazza, lead author and professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington, nearly 40% of young adults said that they had their first attempt of suicide even before entering high school.

Under the research, Mazza and collaborators asked 883 young adults aged 18 or 19 about their history of suicide attempts. From that population, 78 respondents of the ongoing survey, around 9%, said that they had attempted to commit suicide at some point.

Based on their findings, suicide attempt rates showed a sharp increase around the sixth grade - about the age of 12 - with rates peaking around the eighth or the ninth grade.

For some of the respondents, 39 of them, multiple suicide attempts were reported far younger than those making only a single attempt - at the tender age of 9. Having recalled these suicide attempts proved for the first time that young adults can reliably recall when they first attempted suicide.

In addition, the researchers also found that depression levels were higher at the time of the youths' reported first suicide attempts compared with their peers who had not attempted suicide. There was also an increase Depression scores were also increased at the time of the suicide attempt itself, when compared with depression scores the year before and after the attempt.

These scores, Mazza explained, suggests that kids are able to tell that things aren't going well for them, and that self-report measures can help identify youth who may be at risk for current mental health concerns.

But when it comes to the issue of the people that are committing suicide becoming younger and younger, Mazza suggests that mental health programs need to start in the elementary and middle schools.

Suicide is a global issue that must be addressed. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 1 million people die each year from suicide, reported HelpGuide.org. A suicide is attempted when a person is desperately in need for an escape from the unbearable suffering that they are going through.

Warning signs of people who will attempt suicide are:

- Talking about suicide

- Seeking out lethal means

- Focus on death

- Hopelessness

- Getting affairs in order

- Saying goodbye

- Withdrawing from others

- Self destructive behavior

- Sudden sense of calm

And when an individual does find his or herself in a situation wherein he or she is contemplating suicide, step back for a while and think. Some things that suicidal people should do are:

1. Wait things out and give the pain the chance to subside

2. Avoid using drugs or alcohol, which can magnify suicidal thoughts

3. Remove things that can hurt yourself

4. Find hope

5. Share feelings with someone