Teen Suicide
Statistics.
Only car accidents and homicide surpass suicide as the leading
cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24. According to the
latest teen suicide statistics, suicide is the third leading cause
of death for young people. Teen suicide statistics reveal for
every two homicides in the United States there are three
suicides.
Approaching epidemic proportions, teen suicide is a grave problem
with a young person committing suicide every hour and forty-five
minutes.
Many parents ignore the teen suicide fact because they don’t
want to think it could happen to their teen. According to teen
suicide statistics, for every suicide, they are 50 to 100 suicide
attempts.
Teen suicide statistics reveal teen suicide rates have tripled
since 1970. Suicide, according to teen suicide statistics, is the
second leading cause of death among college students, which may
unnerve parents whose children have gone out of state to attend
college.
When teens have access to guns, they are more at risk according to
teen suicide statistics and data. In fact as many as 60 percent of
all successful suicides in the United States are committed with a
firearm.
Girls, teen suicide statistics suggest, are twice as likely to
attempt suicide as boys by cutting themselves or taking an
overdose. Teen suicide statistics and research also indicate boys
are more likely to die by hanging or jumping off buildings or
bridges. Teen suicide statistics also reveal males choose more
lethal methods and are three or four times more likely to succeed
in their suicide attempts than females.
Some of the fact risk factors for teen suicide include having a firearm
in the home. Teen suicide statistics reveal other high risk
factors as well such as mental illness, depression and substance
abuse. Ninety percent of teen suicide victims have at least one
diagnosable, active psychiatric illness at the time of death.
Teen suicide statistics indicate between 26 and 33 percent of teen
suicide victims has made previous suicide attempts.
According to teen suicide statistics from 2001, in the United
States, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in the United
States. Teen suicide statistics from 2001 also reveal the
following fact information:
_ Among young people 20 to 24 years of age, the suicide rate was
12/100,000 or 2,360 deaths among 19,711,423 people.
_ Suicide was the eighth leading cause of death for males, and
19th leading cause of death for females.
_ The suicide rate among adolescents aged 15 to 19 was 7.9/100,000
or 1,611 deaths among 20,271,312 adolescents in this age group.
_ Suicide was the third leading cause of death among young people
15 to 24 years of age, following unintentional injuries and
homicide.
_ The suicide rate among children ages 10 to 14 was 1.3/100,000 or
272 deaths among 20,910,440 children in this age group.
_ Teen suicide statistics also uncovered the fact that more women,
three times as many, than men report a history of attempted
suicide.
_ Four out of five teens who try to kill themselves, teen suicide
statistics and suicide prevention data reveal, have given clear
signals of their intent.
Parents should pay attention to teen suicide statistics that
identify signs of suicide such as giving away prized possessions,
cleaning the bedroom, sleeping all of the time, writing depressing
poetry or skipping class. Teen suicide statistics also indicate
teens at risk for suicide may be obsessed with death.
Experts base their suggestions on teen suicide statistics
published by the Centers for Disease Control as part of its Youth
Risk Behavior Surveillance System.
During a national school-based survey of 10,904 high school
students in grades 9-12, researchers discovered 24.1 percent of
students had thought seriously about attempting suicide during the
12 months preceding the survey.
Their teen suicide statistics showed 8.7 percent of students had
attempted suicide; 17.7 percent of students had made a specific
plan to attempt suicide; 2.8 percent of students had made a
suicide attempt, which resulted in poisoning, an injury, or
overdose.
Teen suicide statistics also break down risk by gender, age and
race.
When it comes to gender, teen suicide statistics show female
students (30.4 percent) were significantly more likely than male
students (18.3 percent) to have thought seriously about attempting
suicide. In terms of race, white students (24.9 percent) were
significantly more likely than black students (20.0 percent) to
have thought seriously about attempting suicide.
Finally, with regard to teen suicide statistics and age, students
in grade 11 (26.3 percent) were significantly more likely than
students in grade 12 (20.0 percent) to have thought seriously
about attempting suicide.
If you suffer from depression and have strong suicide urges,
please seek the help of a professional therapist as soon as
possible. You can find mental health professionals who specialize
in suicide prevention by looking in your local Yellow Pages under
Mental Health and/or Suicide Prevention. Local crisis lines may
also be available. If not, call (800)-SUICIDE.
If in the midst of an acute suicide attack, check yourself into
the emergency room or tell someone who can help you find help
immediately. This is not the time to try to handle the situation
alone. After getting past the immediate risk of suicide, it is
crucial to find effective help for depression.
Related Articles on Suicide:
Depression and Suicide
II
If You Want to Commit
Suicide II
Suicide Prevention
II
Suicide Statistics
II
Suicide
Warning Signs II
Antidepressants and Suicide
II
Youth Suicide
II
Adolescent Suicide
II
Teen Suicide Statistics
II
Elderly Suicide
II
