Methods of Suicide Among Persons Aged 10-19 Years - United States, 1992-2001

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the 13th leading cause of death worldwide, the 11th in the United States, and the 3rd among USA residents aged 10-24 years. In addition, suicide attempts and other acts of self-harm that result in nonfatal injuries take a heavy toll on the health of younger persons. This document examines strategies related to the problem of youth suicide, summarising a June 11 2004 feature in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) that explores this issue.

Dr. Ileana Arias, acting director of CDC's Injury Center stresses, "We must focus on the underlying reasons for suicide and a comprehensive strategy to prevent them." To provide context and motivation for these prevention efforts, the MMWR feature includes various kinds of data:

• on the relationship between suicide attempts and physical fighting in high school students - students who reported attempting suicide in the past year were nearly 4 times as likely to report involvement in physical fights. Additional research is needed to understand the factors that influence risk for fighting and suicidal behaviour and to evaluate whether prevention strategies can provide the skills and support that students need to avoid both behaviours.
• on school-associated suicides - of the lethal acts of school violence carried out by students between July 1 1994 and June 30 1999, more than 20% were suicides. One in 4 suicide victims injured or killed someone else before their suicide. Future suicide prevention strategies should include school-based efforts to identify and assist not only the students who have been aggressive or disruptive in the past, but also those who are showing signs of depression, describing suicidal thoughts, or having difficulty coping with social stressors. CDC researchers believe a promising approach for future suicide prevention efforts is to determine if effective strategies for preventing youth violence, such as school-based curricula, are also effective for preventing youth suicide.
• on suicide trends in Hispanic populations - Hispanic males were almost 6 times as likely to die by suicide as Hispanic females. Prevention efforts for this population must be culturally appropriate and address such issues as the effects of physical and mental health, immigration, acculturation, religious beliefs, substance abuse, and access to health care.
• on suicide trends in China - suicide is the 5th leading cause of death in China, where suicides and suicide attempts were most common among young Chinese women between the ages of 15 and 34. Chinese leaders are working with the CDC to develop a national suicide prevention plan, as recommended by the World Health Organization and the United Nations.

In short, CDC's suicide prevention efforts include describing and tracking the problem of self-directed violence; evaluating and demonstrating ways to prevent suicidal behaviour; communicating scientific information about suicide prevention; and using research to increase knowledge of the risk and protective factors related to suicidal behaviour. As an example of the latter, the findings summarised here highlight the need for parents, teachers, and other youth influencers to be aware of potential signs of suicidal behaviour, such as fighting and expressions of suicidal thoughts.

To request a copy of this document, contact:

Paul Abamonte

Health Communications

Division of Violence Prevention (DVP)

National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC)

Centers For Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

4770 Buford Highway, MS K-60

Atlanta, GA 30341 USA

Tel.: (770) 488-4277

Fax: (770) 488-4349

PAbamonte@cdc.gov