In a sharp contrast to the suicide rates among U.S. teens during 1990-2003, where they fell by 28% have risen by 76% from 2003 to 2004. As per a report, this has been the biggest jump in suicides in the last fifteen years. Today, most of the suicides are done by hanging and guns are used exceptionally. The age group of 10-14 has witnessed the maximum number of suicides. It is important to mention here that suicide ranks as the eleventh major cause of deaths in U.S. It has risen to the third position for deaths among young Americans.
The study also pointed towards trend reversal in methods of suicide. Hanging and suffocation has replaced guns as a method. Dr. Ileana Arias, director of the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control said,
In surveillance speak, this is a dramatic and huge increase. It is possible that hanging and suffocation is more easily available than other methods, especially for these other groups. Suicide is a multidimensional and complex problem. As much as we’d like to attribute suicide to a single source so we can fix it, unfortunately we can’t do that.
Dr. Keri Lubell, a CDC behavioral scientist who was a part of the study pointed, ‘While we can’t say (hanging) is a trend yet, we are confident that’s an unusually high number in 2004.’
The study doesn’t explain the reason why hanging has become the most popular method but it notes that it is the most accessible method indeed. The report advises counselors, suicide prevention programs to focus on girls between 10 to 19 and boys of age between 15-19 years of age. Also, the programs should focus on all the methods of suicide. It may be accredited to the decline in use of anti depressants after they were speculated to increase suicidal behavior after a certain stage. However, it is important to note that the underlying factors for suicide and such behavior should be treated first, only then the death rates will see a decline.
Source: CBS13
Image credit: Depressionblog
