QUICK FACTS
RISK FACTORS
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Young people who acknowledge using alcohol or illicit substances evidence a higher likelihood
of committing suicide.8
Individuals who have previously attempted suicide, or who frequently make comments about
suicide are at higher risk for future suicide attempts.10
More than three-fourths of adolescent suicide deaths are associated with mental illness.16
TEENS AND SUICIDE
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In 2004, suicide was the third leading cause of death among 15 to 24 year-old young adults.4
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Among 15 to 24 year-old individuals, suicide accounts for 12.9 percent of all deaths annually.5
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Among 15 to 24 year-old young adults, there is one suicide for every 100 to 200 attempts.6
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From 2003-2004, the rate of suicide among 10 to 24 year- olds increased by 8 percent, the
largest single-year increase during 1990-2004.7
Suicide occurs 33 percent more often than homicide.8
State governments spend about $900 million dollars per year on medical costs associated with
completed suicides, and suicide attempts by individuals up to 20 years old.8
CULTURE, RACE, AND ETHNICITY
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Among 15 to 34 year-old American Indians/Alaska Natives, suicide is the second leading
cause of death.12
Suicide rates among American Indian/Alaskan Natives ages 15 to 34 are 1.9 times higher
than the national average for that age group.12
Hispanic female high school students in grades 9 through 12 reported a higher percentage of
suicide attempts (14.9%) than their Caucasian (9.3%) or African American (9.8%) counterparts.13
The rates of suicide attempts among female youth are highest for American Indian/Alaskan Natives,
followed by Latinas, Asian American/Pacific Islanders, African Americans, and Caucasians.14
The rates of completed suicides among female youth are highest for American Indian/Alaska
Natives, while African American females have the lowest rates of suicide deaths.14
GIRLS AND SUICIDE
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Suicide is rare in girls before puberty, and the rate of suicide does not change very much over
the lifespan. This may be because the complications of strong suicide risk factors such as,
mental health and/or substance abuse issues, are more common in adolescence.15
Suicide deaths are four to six times more common among males than females; however, females
are more likely to attempt suicide.8
2.9 percent of female U.S. high school students reported making at least one suicide attempt
that required medical attention within a 12 month period.9
In 1990, firearms were the most common suicide method among females, accounting for more
than 50 percent of suicides for 10 to 24 year-old women.11
Suicide both by hanging/suffocation and poisoning among 10 to 19 year-old females increased
from 2003-2004.11
In 2004, hanging/suffocation was the most common method of suicide among 10 to
24 year-old females.11
Youth Who Have Seriously Considered Attempting Suicide (Gender, Race/Ethnicity and Grade)
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS),
14.5 percent of adolescents have seriously considered attempting suicide.
• Overall, female students (compared to male students) have the highest rates of acknowledging that they
seriously thought about making a suicide attempt.17
• 18.7 percent of girls and 10.3 percent of boys have seriously considered attempting suicide.17
• Among adolescent females, Hispanics are more likely to have seriously considered attempting suicide (21.1%),
as compared to African American (18%) and Caucasian (17.8%) females.17
• Tenth-grade female students (22.0%) are more likely to have seriously considered attempting suicide,
compared to their ninth grade (19.0%), 12th grade (16.7%), and 11th grade (16.3%) female peers.
Youth Who Have Made a Suicide Plan (Gender, Race/Ethnicity and Grade)
According to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 11.3 percent of adolescents have made a
suicide plan.
• Overall, female students (compared to males) have the highest rates of having made a suicide plan.17
• 13.4 percent of girls and 9.2 percent of boys have made a suicide plan.17
• Hispanic adolescent females (15.2%) are more likely to have made a suicide plan, compared to 12.8
percent of Caucasian females and 12 percent of African American females.
• Tenth-grade female students (16.1%) are more likely to have made a suicide plan, compared to their ninth
grade (13.4%), 12th grade (11.7%), and 11th grade (11.6%) female peers.
Youth Who Have Attempted Suicide (Gender, Race/Ethnicity and Grade)
According to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 6.9 percent of adolescents have attempted suicide.
• Overall, female students (compared to males) have the highest rate of having attempted suicide.17
• 9.3 percent of girls and 4.6 percent of boys have attempted suicide.17
• Hispanic adolescent females (14%) are more likely to have attempted suicide, compared to 9.9 percent
of African American females and 7.7 percent of Caucasian females.17
• Tenth-grade female students (11.2%) are more likely to have attempted suicide, compared to their ninth
grade (10.5%), 11th grade (7.8%), and 12th grade (6.5%) female peers.
Youth Who Have Made a Serious Suicide Attempt (Gender, Race/Ethnicity and Grade)
According to the 2007 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), two percent of adolescents have made a suicide
attempt that resulted in an injury, poisoning, or overdose requiring treatment by doctors or nurses.
• Overall, female students (compared to males) have the highest rates of having made a suicide attempt that
required medical treatment.17
• 2.4 percent of girls and 1.5 percent of boys made a serious suicide attempt.17
• Hispanic adolescent females (3.9%) are more likely to have attempted suicide that resulted in treatment by
doctors or nurses, compared to 2.1 percent of African American and 2.1 percent of Caucasian females.17
• Tenth-grade female students (3.1%) are more likely to have attempted suicide resulting in injuries requiring
treatment by doctors or nurses, compared to their ninth grade (2.6%), 12th grade (1.8%), and 11th grade
(1.7%) female peers.
• From the 2005 YRBS to the 2007 YRBS, the following good news can be found regarding information
pertaining to youth suicide thoughts, plans, and attempts:17
• Overall, the number of people who seriously
considered attempting suicide is down 2.4%
• Overall, the number of those who made a
suicide plan is down 1.7%
• Overall, the number of people who attempted
suicide is down 1.5%
• Overall, the number of those who made an
attempt and were treated by doctors or
nurses is down .3%
References
1
Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRS). (Date?). Suicide
prevention basics: History of suicide prevention. [On-line].
Retrieved from www.sprc.org/suicide_prev_basics/
sp_history.asp on (month, day, year).
10 American Psychiatric Association (APA). (2005). Let’s talk
facts about teen suicide. [On-line]. Retrieved from
www.healthyminds.org/multimedia/teensuicide.pdf on
(month, day, year).
11 CDC. (2007). Suicide trends among youths and young adults
aged 10–24 years—United States, 1990–2004. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 56(35), 905–908.
[On-line] Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/
mmwrhtml/mm5635a2.htm on (month, day, year).
2
Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRS). (Date?). SAMHSA
suicide prevention grantee information. [On-line]. Retrieved
from www.sprc.org/grantees/index.asp on (month, day, year).
3
Evans, E., Hawton, K., & Rodham, K. (2004). Factors
associated with suicide phenomena in adolescents: A systematic
review of population-based studies. Clinical Psychology Review,
24, 957–979.
4
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2007).
Suicide trends among youths and young adults aged 10–24
years—United States, 1990–2004. Morbidity and Mortality
Weekly Report (MMWR), 56(35), 905–908. [On-line] Retrieved
from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ mm5635a2.htm
on (month, day, year).
5
CDC. (2007, Summer). Suicide: facts at a glance. [On-line].
Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suicide/
SuicideDataSheet.pdf on (month, day, year).
14 Goldston, D., Molock, S., Whitbeck, L., Murakami, J., Zayas,
L., & Hall, G. (2008, January). Cultural considerations in
adolescent suicide prevention and psychosocial treatment.
American Psychologist, 63(1), 14–31.
6
Goldsmith, S. K., Pellmar, T. C., Kleinman, A. M., & Bunney,
W. E. (Eds.). (2002). Reducing suicide: A national imperative.
Washington, DC: The National Academies Press. Retrieved
from www.nap.edu/books/0309083214/html/ on (month,
day, year).
15 Shaffer, D., Gould, M., & Hicks, R. (2007, March). Teen
suicide fact sheet. New York: New York State Psychiatric
Institute and Columbia University College of Physicians and
Surgeons.
7
CDC. (2007). Suicide trends among youths and young adults
aged 10–24 years—United States, 1990–2004. Morbidity
and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 56(35), 905–908.
Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/
mmwrhtml/mm5635a2.htm on (month, day, year).
8
Goldrick, L. (April, 2005). Youth suicide prevention:
Strengthening state policies and school-based strategies.
National Governors Association Center for Best Practices
[On-line]. Retrieved from www.spanusa.org/files/General_
Documents//0504suicideprevention.pdf on (month, day, year).
9
Eaton, D. K., Kann, L., Kinchen, S. A., Ross, J. G., Hawkins,
J., Harris, W.A., Lowry, R., McManus, T., Chyen, D., Shanklin,
S., Lim, C., Grunbaum, J., & Wechsler, H. (2006, June). Youth
risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2005. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 55(SS–5):1–108. Retrieved
from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/SS/SS5505.pdf on (month,
day, year).
12 CDC. (Summer 2007). Suicide: Facts at a glance. [On-line].
Retrieved from www.cdc.gov/ncipc/dvp/suicide/
SuicideDataSheet.pdf on (month, day, year).
13 Eaton, D. K., Kann, L., Kinchen, S. A., Ross, J. G., Hawkins,
J., Harris, W. A., Lowry, R., McManus, T., Chyen, D., Shanklin,
S., Lim, C., Grunbaum, J., & Wechsler, H. (2006, June). Youth
risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2005. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 55(SS–5):1–108. Retrieved
from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/SS/SS5505.pdf on (Month,
day, year).
16 Fortune, S., & Hawton, K. (2005). Deliberate self-harm in
children and adolescents: A research update. Current Opinion
in Psychiatry, 18(4), 401–406.
17 Eaton, D. K., Kann, L., Kinchen, S. A., Ross, J. G., Hawkins,
J., Harris, W. A., Lowry, R., McManus, T., Chyen, D., Shanklin,
S., Lim, C., Brenner, N., & Wechsler, H. (2008, June). Youth
risk behavior surveillance—United States, 2007. Morbidity and
Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 57(SS04):1–131. Retrieved
from www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/
ss5704a1.htm?s_cid=ss5704a1_e on (month, day, year).
18 Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPAN USA). (May
2008). State legislation and policy update, FY2008: Suicide
prevention and mental health. [On-line] Retrieved from
www.spanusa.org/?fuseaction=home.download&folder_file_id=
C67B46D0-7E90-9BD4-C6507761B12C331D on (month,
day, year).