4 Troubled Teens Blog

Numbers Decline, but Teen Suicide Rate Remains High

About 40 American teens end their lives every week, according to a study from Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio.

The suicide rate for children ages 10 to 19 had been declining steadily between 1996 and 2005, when it suddenly spiked 18 percent. The actual number of suicides declined from 1,983 in 2004 to 1,883 in 2005, but it should have been 600 fewer if the downward trend had continued.

Psychiatrists including Dr. David Fassler of the University of Vermont believe that the suicide rate correlates with teenagers' using fewer anti-depressant drugs.

The Nationwide study found no differences in suicide rates between boys and girls, or younger and older teens. All were found to be equally at risk.

Labels: suicide, mental_health

Posted By: Aspen Education Group