Children and adolescents at risk of suicide.

Abstract

Suicide in children and adolescents is a major public health problem and accounts for at least 100,000 annual deaths in young people worldwide (World Health Organization, 2002). In the United States suicide accounts for more adolescent deaths than all natural causes combined, with approximately 4,000 young people ages 15 to 24 dying by suicide in 2002 (Kochanek, Murphy, Anderson, & Scott, 2004). The American Association of Suicidology (2003) estimated that in the United States a teenager kills him-or herself every 2 hours. Suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death in the United States among the 10-to 14-year-old and 15-to 19-year-old age groups, exceeded by only accidents and homicide (Anderson, 2002).The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that of 1 million teenagers surveyed, nearly 20% seriously considered suicide in the past year, 15% made a specific plan to attempt suicide, and 9% reported an attempt; approximately 700,000 received medical attention for their attempt (Grunbaum et al., 2002). These results are consistent with those cited in other epidemiological studies in the United States (e.g., see Wichstrom, 2000).