Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 8, 2008 3:45:11 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

More US Kids, Young Adults Commiting Suicide

Posted Sep 6, 07 5:30 PM CDT in Arts & Living,  Science & Health 

(Newser) – Suicide rates among America's children and young adults surged by 8% between 2003 and 2004, the most significant increase over the past 15 years, a new Centers for Disease Control report shows. The hike coincides with a 22% decrease in antidepressant use, but it could be related to changes in methodology and risk factors, the Psychiatric Times reports.

The reasons aren't clear, but the jump can be traced to trends in three demographic groups—girls 10 to 14, girls 15 to 19, and boys 15 to 19. Alterations in their patterns reflect overall change. Among girls, for example, suicides by firearms dropped while rates involving the more accessible practices of suffocation and hanging rose.

Source Psychiatric Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Talk About 'Blue Monday'

    Jan 21, 08 12:25 PM CST
    Talk About 'Blue Monday' Unless you're a Giants fan, it's likely you woke up this morning feeling a bit more than the usual Monday blahs. The third Monday in January is the most depressing day of the year, says a Cardiff University researcher. He bases his annual predictions on weather, holiday debt, and broken New Year's resolutions, Time's Bill Tancer notes. But Tancer has a better formula. More »

  • Smoking Linked to Suicidal Thoughts

    Jan 9, 08 9:56 PM CST
    Smoking Linked to Suicidal Thoughts Young smokers think about suicide at higher rates than non-smokers, researchers have discovered. Nearly 15% of non-smokers reported suicidal thoughts, compared with 20% of casual smokers and 30% of addicted smokers, according to the study in the Journal of Affective Disorders. Researchers could not determine whether smoking was a cause or effect of suicidal thoughts. Nobody committed suicide during the four-year study. More »

  • Antidepressant Warning Preceded Youth Suicide Surge

    Sep 6, 07 12:25 PM CDT
    Antidepressant Warning Preceded Youth Suicide Surge Four years after the FDA and other agencies sparked a drop in antidepressant use by labeling the meds a suicide risk for young people, a new study shows the results were exactly the opposite of what regulators intended. From 2003 to 2004, the suicide rate among people under 19 rose 14%, an unprecedented spike, the Washington Post reports. More »

  • Depression Causes Preemies

    Apr 4, 07 8:40 AM CDT
    Most new mothers with post-partum depression are ill long before their babies are born, the first study of clinical depression during pregnancy has found. The research, conducted at the Institute of Psychiatry in London, shows that depression, triggered by a natural increase in stress hormones during pregnancy, is a "hidden" cause of infant mortality, the FT reports. More »

"Our news today is sobering. It raises a great concern for us," said Dr. Ileana Arias, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. "We don't yet know if this is a short-lived...   (Index Open)
In 2004, 4,599 children and adults aged 10 to 24 committed suicide in the steepest rise in 15 years.   (Shutterstock.com)
Suicide rose to become the third-leading cause of death in 2004, among 10 to 24 year olds, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.   (Shutterstock.com)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 1)

Tags

children  • suicide  • depression  • antidepressant  • Americans  • youth


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »