In 2013, Suicide was the second leading cause of death among U.S. young adolescents (15-19 years of age), accounting for 18.4% of all deaths in this age group. According to a nationally representative study on the lifetime prevalence of adolescent suicidal behaviors, 12.1% of U.S. adolescents experience suicidal ideation, 4.0% develop a plan, and 4.1% attempt suicide. The same study estimated that approximately 60% of young people with a suicide plan will attempt suicide, and most of the adolescents who subsequently make an attempt do so within the first year after the onset of ideation.
These findings support the importance of the early identification of youths at risk of developing suicidal thoughts, monitoring their behavior, and providing the necessary help to address the risk factors that could act as catalysts for self-inflicted harm.
Published in Dynamics of Human Health, v. 2, no. 2.
Reprinted as a book chapter in Youth Suicide Prevention: Everybody’s Business. Hatim A. Omar, (Ed.). p. 169-186.
Slavova, Dessi and Omar, Hatim A., "Effective Youth Suicide Prevention: Evidence from Kentucky" (2015). Pediatrics Faculty Publications. 183.