Preview

Youth Suicide

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
3224 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
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


References: Almeida J, Johnson RM, Corliss HL, Molnar BE, Azrael D. Emotional distress among LGBT youth: the influence of perceived discrimination based on sexual orientation. J Youth Adolesc 2009; 38(7):1001-14. Anonymous. National Adolescent Health Information Center. Fact Sheet on Suicide: Adolescents & Young Adults. San Francisco, CA: University of California, San Francisco, 2006. Baca-Garcia E, Perez-Rodriguez MM, Mann JJ, Oquendo MA. Suicidal behavior in young women. Psychiatr Clin North Am 2008; 31, 2(June):317-31. Barbui C, Esposito E, Cipriani A. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and risk of suicide: a systematic review of observational studies. CMAJ 2009; 180, 3(Feb):291-7. Braquehais MD, Oquendo MA, Baca-García E, Sher L. Is impulsivity a link between childhood abuse and suicide? Compr Psychiatry 2010; 51, 2(March-April):121-9. Brent DA, Perper JA, Moritz GM, Baugher M, Schweers J, Ross C. Firearms and adolescent suicide: A community case control study. American Journal of Diseases of Children 1993; 147:1066-1071. Brezo J, Paris J, Hébert M, Vitaro F, Tremblay R, Turecki G. Broad and narrow personality traits as markers of one-time and repeated suicide attempts: a populationbased study. BMC Psychiatry 2008; 8(March):15. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth Suicide Prevention Programs: A Resource Guide. Atlanta, GA: Center for Disease Control, 1992. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Programs for the prevention of suicide among adolescents and young adults; and suicide contagion and the reporting of suicide. Recommendations from a national workshop. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1994; 43(6), 1-18. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Youth risk behavior surveillance-United States, 1997. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 1998; 47(SS-3), 1-89. Cha C, Nock M. Emotional intelligence is a protective factor for suicidal behavior. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2009; 48, 4(Apr):422-30. 6 Department of Health and Human Services. Healthy People 2010: Understanding and Improving Health (2nd ed.). Washington DC, U.S.: Government Printing Office, 2000. Demetriades D, Murray J, Myles D, et al. Epidemiology of major trauma and trauma deaths in Los Angeles County. Journal of the American College of Surgery 1998; 187, 373-383. Fergusson DM, Horwood LJ, Beautrais AL. Is sexual orientation related to mental health problems and suicidality in young people. Archives of General Psychiatry 1999; 56:612-622. Gao Y, Li LP, Kim JH, Congdon N, Lau J, Griffiths S. The impact of parental migration on health status and health behaviours among left behind adolescent school children in China. BMC Public Health 2010; 10(Feb):56. Garofalo R, Wolf RC, Wissow LS, Woods ER, Goodman E. Sexual orientation and risk of suicide attempts among a representative sample of youth. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine 2001; 155(3):487-493. Goldston DB, Molock SD, Whitbeck LB, Murakami JL, Zayas LH, Hall GC. Cultural considerations in adolescent suicide prevention and psychosocial treatment. Am Psychol. 2008; 63, 1(Jan):14-31. Gould MS. Suicide and the media. In H. Hendin, & J. J. Mann (Eds.), Suicide Prevention: Clinical and Scientific Aspects. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. New York: Academy of Sciences, 2001. Gould MS, Fisher P, Parides M, Flory M, Shaffer D. Psychosocial risk factors of child and adolescent completed suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry 1996; 53:1155-1162. Gould MS Kramer RA. Youth suicide prevention. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 2001; 31 (Suppl):6-31. Gould MS, Wallenstein S, Kleinman M. Time-space clustering of teenage suicide. American Journal of Epidemiology 1990; 131:71-78. Kaminski JW, Fang X. Victimization by peers and adolescent suicide in three US samples. J Pediatr 2009; 155, 5(Nov):683-8. Kellermann AL, Rivera FP, Somes G, et al. Suicide in the home in relation to gun ownership. New England Journal of Medicine 1992; 327:467-472. King CA, O 'Mara RM, Hayward CN, Cunningham RM. Adolescent suicide risk screening in the emergency department. Acad Emerg Med 2009; 16, 11(Nov):1234-41. 7 Kohli MA; Young K; Conwell Y. Archives of General Psychiatry Feb 1, 2010. Koutek J, Kocourkova J, Hladikova M, Hrdlicka M. Suicidal behavior in children and adolescents: does a history of trauma predict less severe suicidal attempts? Neuro Endocrinol Lett. 2009; 30, 1(March):99-106. Kwok SY, Shek DT. Social problem solving, family functioning, and suicidal ideation among Chinese adolescents in Hong Kong. Adolescence, 2009; 44(174):391-406. McBride HEA, Siegel, LS. Learning disabilities and adolescent suicide. Journal of Learning Disabilities 1997; 30(6): 652-659. McDainel JS, Purcell D, D’Augelli AR. The relationship between sexual orientation and risk for suicide: Research findings and future directions for research and prevention. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior 2001; 31(1, Suppl): 84-105. Nock MK, Hwang I, Sampson N, et al. Cross-national analysis of the associations among mental disorders and suicidal behavior: findings from the WHO World Mental Health Surveys. 2009; Epub e1000123 (PLoS Med; 6, 8) Pfeffer CR, McBride A, Anderson GM, Kakuma T, Fensterheim L, Khait V. Peripheral serotonin measures in prepubertal psychiatric inpatients and normal children: Associations with suicidal behavior and its risk factors. Biological Psychiatry 1998; 44:568-577. Phillips D, Carstensen LL. Clustering of teenage suicides after television news stories about suicide. New England Journal of Medicine 1986; 315:685-689. Reinherz HA, Giaconia RM, Silverman AB, et al. Early psychosocial risks for adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry 1995; 34:599-611. Schulsinger F. Biological psychopathology. Annual Review of Psychology 1980; 31: 583-606. Shaffer D, Gould MS, Fisher P, et al. Psychiatric diagnosis in child and adolescent suicide. Archives of General Psychiatry 1996; 53:339-348. Shiner M, Scourfield J, Fincham B, Langer S. When things fall apart: Gender and suicide across the life-course. Soc Sci Med 2009; 69, 5(Sept):738-46. Swahn MH, Bossarte RM, Ashby JS, Meyers J. Pre-teen alcohol use initiation and suicide attempts among middle and high school students: Findings from the 2006 Georgia Student Health Survey. Addict Behav 2009; Epub ahead of print. 8 Thompson EA, Eggert LL, Randell BP, Pike KC. Evaluation of indicated suicide risk prevention approaches for potential high school dropouts. American Journal of Public Health 2001; 91:742-752. Vega WA, Gil AG, Warheit GJ, Apospori E. The relationship of drug use to suicide ideation and attempts among African American, Hispanic, and White non-Hispanic male adolescents. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior 1993; 23(2): 110-119. Wagner BM, Cole RE, Schwartzman P. Psychosocial correlates of suicide attempts among junior and senior high school youth. Suicide & Life-Threatening Behavior 1995; 25:358-372. Wallace LJD, Calhoun AD, Powell KE, O’Neill J, James SP. Homicide and suicide among Native Americans, 1979-1992. Atlanta, GA: Center for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury and Prevention and Control, 1996;(Violence Surveillance Series, Vol. 2). Wu YW, Su YJ, Chen CK. Clinical characteristics, precipitating stressors, and correlates of lethality among suicide attempters. Chang Gung Med J 2009; 32, 5(SeptOct):543-52. Yilmaz TA, Riecher-Rössler A. Suicide attempts among first and second generation immigrants. Neuropsychiatr 2008; 22(4):261-7. Zayas LH, Bright CL, Alvarez-Sánchez T, Cabassa LJ. Acculturation, familism and mother-daughter relations among suicidal and non-suicidal adolescent Latinas. J Prim Prev 2009; 30,3-4(July):351-69. 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
Continue Reading
View Writing Issues

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    College Essay On Teenage Suicide
    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages

    College Essay On Teenage Suicide

    Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death for all people in the U.S. while it’s the third of teenagers. Suicide is beginning to claim more young people's lives each year.…

    • 721 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Teen Suicide
    • 1514 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Teen Suicide

    Untreated depression and other mental disorders are a key component to teen suicides. Depression, especially, can be triggered by several events in a teenager’s life such as problems at home, breaking up with a boyfriend or girlfriend, and dealing with sexual identity (Will). Maureen Underwood, a social worker who has written suicide prevention school curricula and who works with the Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide, states these “triggering events could push someone off the edge” (Harpaz). Unlike adults, who have the capacity and skills to overcome such obstacles, teenagers have not reached the level to do so. According to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, at least 90 percent of people who kill themselves have a diagnosable and treatable psychiatric illness (“AFSP: Risk Factors”). Therefore, the awareness of student’s actions and emotions by parents, teachers, and other adults are imperative.…

    • 1514 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Teen Suicide Rates in Alaska
    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Teen Suicide Rates in Alaska

    Regarding the method of the study, suicide trends were analyzed in four ways: statewide, geographical, cluster, and statistical analysis. In the statewide analysis, the suicide incidence rate of 31.5 was approximately even during the fall, winter, summer, and spring and increased with age: 14-15 years (rate of 16.0), 16-17 years (32.4), and 18-19 years (46.5.) Across all age groups, the male suicide rate (47.5) was 3.5 times that of females (13.6.) Regarding race, Alaska Natives (76.9) were nearly four times more likely to commit suicide than Whites (21.0), with the largest risk detected among Alaska Native males (120.3.)…

    • 1186 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find: Summary
    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages

    A Good Man Is Hard To Find: Summary

    Moreover, three data tables titled, “10 Leading Causes of Death by Age Group, United States” collected by the National Vital Statistics System in 2005, 2010, and 2015 show the increase of suicide over the years. Suicide rates were ranked third in 2005, where age group 10-14 had 270 suicide cases and age group 15-24 had 4,212 cases (see table 1). In 2010, suicide was still at third rank in both age groups, but the number of cases decreased in age group 10-14 with 267 cases and increased in age group 15-24 with 4,600 cases (see table 2). In 2015, suicide remained third rank for suicide for age group 10-14 at 409 cases—doubling within five years (see table 3). For age group 15-24, suicide became second rank with 5,491 cases (see table 3).…

    • 1456 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    How Did Kurt Cobain Cause Suicide
    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages

    How Did Kurt Cobain Cause Suicide

    The number one cause of death in teens is suicide? Looking back to one of the most commonly known and most devastating…

    • 931 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The Role Of Suicide In Sacramento
    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Role Of Suicide In Sacramento

    In Sacramento County from 1991 to 2014, there were 1,636 cases of non-fatal hospitalization due to suicide. In 2014, specifically, there were 86 cases. 44 of the people who attempted suicide were White, 19 were Hispanic, 14 were Black, eight were Asian or Pacific Islander, and one was unknown. Amongst this group, 20 of them were male, and 66 were female (CDPH Vital Statistics Death Statistical Master Files, 2017). On the other hand, from 1991 to 2013, there were 156 suicide deaths between the ages of 15 to 19. The total of suicide deaths in 2013 alone was seven. Among these deaths, four were White, two were Hispanic, and one was Black. Six of them were male and one was female.…

    • 121 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Heteronormativity In Canadian Youth
    • 1992 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Heteronormativity In Canadian Youth

    (Kennedy). Although we do not know how many of these youth identify as LGBTQ, it is a well-known fact that the rate of suicide, suicidal thoughts, and suicide attempts is disproportionate amongst the LGBTQ youth when compared to the heterosexual youth (Kennedy). The LGBTQ youth are four times more likely to commit suicide in comparison to the heterosexual youth (Kennedy). Canadian statistics reveal that about thirty-three percent of Canadian LGB youth have attempted suicide, forty-seven percent of GB male and seventy-three percent of LB female students have had suicidal thoughts (Kennedy). A survey conducted in Ontario revealed that forty-seven percent of transsexual youths have had suicidal thoughts, and that nineteen percent actually attempted suicide in the following year (Kennedy). These baffling statistics are consequences of mistreatment felt by the LGBTQ youth (Kennedy). The non-heterosexual youth have to deal with being physically and emotionally harassed, they are often not given the opportunity to feel parental-love and affection since their parents grew up with the hegemonistic belief that same-sex marriage is ideal and thus they do not accept their children who deviate from heteronormativity (Kennedy). Parents are often embarrassed by their child’s sexual orientation and attempt to “correct” them by either sending them to special church programs, or though…

    • 1992 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Pig Paper
    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Pig Paper

    The recent research has shown that suicide is the “third leading cause of death among young people fifteen to twenty four, fourth leading cause of death for ages between twenty five to forty four, the eighth leading cause of death for ages forty five to sixty four” (2012). Over all suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. One of the main questions about suicide is why. The research shows that the “number one reason of suicide among youth is untreated, undiagnosed or ineffectively treated depression”(Gould).…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Youth Suicide in Native Americans
    • 1311 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Youth Suicide in Native Americans

    Native American teens share much of the issues Americans face that can contribute to thoughts or intentions to commit suicide. One critical issue is alcohol and drug abuse. In Native Americans alcohol and drug addiction run rampant. Alcohol addiction is multigenerational spanning from grandparents to parents to even kids, posing a serious problem for Native American teens. This is a never ending process, cyclical if you will. According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse data showed that fifty percent of all American adolescents have used alcohol. This is considerably higher in Native American youth which was just a little over…

    • 1311 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    The Third-Leading Cause Of Suicide In The United States
    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page

    The Third-Leading Cause Of Suicide In The United States

    Suicide is the act of intentionally terminating one’s own life. The suicide rate among American adolescents has intensely increased during the last fifty years. Adolescent suicide has become an epidemic, attempted suicide is even a greater epidemic. “For every adolescent who commits suicide, four hundred teens report attempting suicide, one hundred report requiring medical attention for a suicide attempt, and thirty are hospitalized for a suicide attempt” (David M. Cutler, 2001). Each year in the United States, thousands of adolescents commit suicide. According to the Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suicide is the third leading cause of death between the ages of fifteen to nineteen, and the sixth leading cause of death…

    • 240 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Teen Depression
    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Teen Depression

    Appendix A: Method of Suicide in the Age Group 10 to 19, by Gender, 2006-2011…

    • 1086 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More
  • Best Essays

    Teen Suicide Related To Substance Abuse
    • 2033 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Teen Suicide Related To Substance Abuse

    Henry, C. S., Stephenson, A. L., Hanson, M. F., & Margett, W. (1993). Adolescent suicide and families. Adolescence, 28: 291-309.…

    • 2033 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
    Read More
  • Powerful Essays

    Sexual Orientation and Suicide Risk
    • 5505 Words
    • 23 Pages

    Sexual Orientation and Suicide Risk

    Sexual orientation has emerged as a muchdebated risk factor for adolescent suicide in recent years. It is commonly believed that the difficulties of dealing with the stigma of homosexuality might lead to depression and even suicide among gay men and lesbians; this may be particularly heightened during adolescence, when emerging sexuality becomes a central issue in young lives.1 To date, more than 20 studies have addressed this question, using a variety of methods and samples. Owing to the methodological limitations of past studies, consensus has not been reached regarding the degree to which same-sex sexual orientation is a risk factor for suicide. In the mid-1980s, research reports began to suggest that the suicide rate was dramatically higher for gay and lesbian youths than for the general adolescent population. Debate about this issue was heightened in 1989 with the publication of the report of the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, which suggested that gay and lesbian youths are 2 to 3 times more likely to attempt suicide and that they account for up to 30% of the total adolescent suicide rate.2 Since that report, studies of gay and lesbian youths indicate that between 48%3 and 76%4 have thought of suicide, while between 29%3 and 42%5 have attempted suicide. The samples used in these studies were not random, however; the gay and lesbian youths represented in these research studies may have been at higher initial risk for suicide. Certainly these rates are much higher than those for the general adolescent population; recent studies report that between 19%6 and 29%7 of the adolescent population have a lifetime history of suicidal ideation, and between 7%6 and 13%7 report ever having attempted suicide. Several recent studies have used random samples of adolescents to study the association between adolescent sexual…

    • 5505 Words
    • 23 Pages
    Powerful Essays
    Read More
  • Better Essays

    Adolescents and Suicide
    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Adolescents and Suicide

    Suicide is the second leading cause of death among young people ages 13 to 24. In recent years, suicide has increased at an alarming rate in adolescents. One in five teenagers in the United States considers suicide, in 2003, 8 percent of adolescents attempted suicide. It can affect teens from all races, both genders, and socioeconomic groups. According to a 2004 report distributed by the National Institute of Mental Health identified that psychological, environmental, and biological are the possible causes for suicidal distress. The risk for suicide frequently occurs in combination with external circumstances, lack of coping skills, substance abuse, and depression the most common psychiatric disorder in people who die in suicide. Adolescent suicide can be prevented by recognizing the possible symptoms and warning signs. Suicide prevention programs, crisis center hotlines, screening programs, seek to identify at risk adolescents and provide them with the proper treatment and reduce suicidal ideation.…

    • 1457 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
    Read More
  • Good Essays

    Factors Accounting for Youth Suicide Attempts in Hong Kong: Model Building
    • 3591 Words
    • 15 Pages

    Factors Accounting for Youth Suicide Attempts in Hong Kong: Model Building

    Introduction Youth suicide, being one of the three leading causes of death in young people, has been a focus of research. Various individual risk factors have been…

    • 3591 Words
    • 15 Pages
    Good Essays
    Read More

Related Topics