Youth Suicide

Spring 2010 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA ACADEMIC CENTER OF EXCELLENCE ON YOUTH VIOLENCE PREVENTION, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, RIVERSIDE

Fact Sheet

YOUTH SUICIDE by Michiko Otsuki, Tia Kim, and Paul Peterson

Introduction Youth suicide is a major public health problem in the United States today. Each year in the U.S., thousands of teenagers commit suicide. Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15-24 year olds, and the fifth leading cause of death for 5-14 year olds. (American Foundation of Suicide Prevention [AFSP], 2010; National Center for Health Statistics [NCHS],2006) The reduction of adolescent suicide is one of the major objectives of the Healthy People 2010 Initiative (Department of Health and Human Services, 2010). Scope of the Problem Age and gender differences Suicide is less common during childhood and the early teen years (Gould & Kramer, 2001). In 2006, the rate was .5 suicides per 100,000 children aged 10-14. (AFSP, 2010; NCHS, 2006) Suicide mortality increases considerably in the late teens and continues into the early twenties for both males and females. Although females are more likely than males to attempt suicide, males are roughly five times as likely to success in their suicide attempts. Ethnic differences American Indian/Alaska Native youth have the highest prevalence of suicide across all age groups. In this group males have the higher prevalence. European-American youth have the next highest prevalence. Their prevalence is higher than that of AfricanAmerican, Latino, and Asian-American/Pacific Islander youth. Although research suggests that Native American and Latino youth have the highest suicide-related fatalities (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], 2009), Latino female youth are more likely to attempt suicide than all other groups of youth (National Adolescent Health Information Center, 2006). Methods of youth suicide Firearm death remains the most prevalent method of suicide, regardless of age, gender, and ethnicity. It

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Internet Resources American Association of Suicidology (ASA): http://www.suicidology.org/web/guest/home American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP): www.afsp.org U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: www.dhhs.gov The Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Prevent Suicide (1999): www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/calltoaction/default.htm Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC): www.cdc.gov/ncipc Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), Division of Violence Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/youthviolence/index.html 9 CDC’s SafeUSA Guide to Preventing Suicide: www.cdc.gov/safeusa/suicide.htm Suicide statistics from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics: www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/suicide.htm 10