Suicide
by: Jerry Price - Jan 9, 2006 - comment
“Suicide is now the third-leading cause of death among young people between the ages of 15 and 24, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And the incidence of suicide among the nation’s youth is on the rise. CDC figures also show that the suicide rate increased by 11percent between 1980 and 1997 among 15- to 19-year-olds, and an alarming 109 percent among 10- to 14-year-olds.
“While these statistics focus on deaths related to suicide, aggregated data from the 2003 and 2004 Gallup Youth Surveys provide some insight on teens’ awareness of suicide attempts among their peers and their own personal experiences. According to the results, 45 percent of the nation’s teens (aged 13 to 17) reported that they personally know a teenager who has tried to commit suicide, and 22 percent said that they themselves have talked about or thought about committing suicide. Eight percent of teens said that they have come close to committing suicide, and 6 percent said that they have actually tried to commit suicide.
“While CDC statistics indicate that males (including youth) are four times more likely than females to actually die from suicide, women are more likely to attempt taking their own lives.”
Coleen McMurray, “Nearly Half of Teens Aware of Peer Suicide Attempts,” http://www.gallup.com , May 25, 2004 [Subscription required]
Further Learning
Learn more about: Life, Suicide