Girls' Suicide Rates Rise Dramatically

CDC Advises Prevention Programs To Focus On Gender And Age Groups Most At Risk

(AP)  The suicide rate among preteen and young teen girls spiked 76 percent, a disturbing sign that federal health officials say they can't fully explain.

For all young people between ages 10 to 24, the suicide rate rose 8 percent from 2003 to 2004 - the biggest single-year bump in 15 years - in what one official called "a dramatic and huge increase."

The report, based on the latest numbers available, was released Thursday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and suggests a troubling reversal in recent trends. Suicide rates had fallen by 28.5 percent since 1990 among young people.

The biggest increase - about 76 percent - was in the suicide rate for 10- to 14-year-old girls. There were 94 suicides in that age group in 2004, compared to 56 in 2003. The rate is still low, fewer than one per 100,000 population.

Suicide rates among older teen girls, those aged 15-19 shot up 32 percent; rates for males in that age group rose 9 percent.

"In surveillance speak, this is a dramatic and huge increase," Dr. Ileana Arias said of the overall picture. She is director of the CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.

More research is needed to determine whether this is a trend or just a blip, said one child psychiatrist, Dr. Thomas Cummins of Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. "We all need to keep our eye on this over time to see if this is a continuing trend."

Overall, there were 4,599 suicides among young people in 2004, making it the third-leading cause of death, surpassed only by car crashes and homicide, Arias said. Males committed suicide far more often than females, accounting for about three-quarters of suicides in this age group.

The study also documented a change in suicide method. In 1990, guns accounted for more than half of all suicides among young females. By 2004, though, death by hanging and suffocation became the most common suicide method. It accounted for about 71 percent of all suicides in girls aged 10-14; about half of those aged 15-19; and 34 percent between 20-24.

"While we can't say (hanging) is a trend yet, we are confident that's an unusually high number in 2004," said Dr. Keri Lubell, a CDC behavioral scientist who was one of the study authors.

Scientists speculated that hanging may have become the most accessible method.

"It is possible that hanging and suffocation is more easily available than other methods, especially for these other groups," Arias said.

The CDC is advising health officials to consider focusing suicide prevention programs on girls ages 10-19 and boys between 15-19 to reverse the trends. It also said the suicide methods suggest that prevention focused solely on restricting access to pills, weapons or other lethal means may be of limited success.

As for why rates are up, Richard Lieberman, who coordinates the suicide prevention program for Los Angeles public schools, said one cause could be a rise in depression during tumultuous adolescent years.

"There's a lot of pressure in and around middle school kids. They're kind of all transition kids. They're turbulent times to begin with," he said. "The hotline's been ringing off the hook with middle school kids experimenting with a wide variety of self-injurious behavior, exploring different ways to hurt themselves."

Arias said the declining use of antidepressants in those age groups might play a role. But it's "not the only factor" that health officials will be studying.

Four years ago, federal regulators warned that antidepressants seemed to raise the risk of suicidal behavior among young people, so black box warnings were put on the drugs' packaging.

When partial teen suicide data was published earlier this year, experts noted at the time that the drop in sales of the drugs corresponded with a rise in the suicide rate. Now there is concern that some children who need the medication aren't getting it.

"Suicide is a multidimensional and complex problem," Arias said. "As much as we'd like to attribute suicide to a single source so we can fix it, unfortunately we can't do that."

More education is needed, some specialists said, so that teachers, parents and others can quickly spot troubled teens.

"It underscores the need for more evaluation methods for school personnel and pediatricians to be able to better identify at-risk youth," said Dr. Alec Miller, director of the adolescent depression and suicide program at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. "They are out there, and everyone needs to be better trained in identification."

He said people who commit suicide tend to have a psychiatric condition, even if it has not been formally diagnosed.

Arias said warning signs include mental illness, alcohol and drug use, family dysfunction and relationship problems.

"For some, talking about suicide is awkward," she said. "Our goal is to stop suicides, and to do that we need everyone's willingness to talk about it."

[godofredo29]

Make no mistake about it, the majority of suicides are still males. While the trends described here are lamentable, we can not lose sight of that. Since the resources to deal with suicides and males have traditionally been slim to nonexistent due to a greater tendency in our society to view males as expendible one can''t afford to let down one''s guard.

[bluewindow99]

Much of the blame for these additional deaths can be squarely focused on the Church of Scientology. They have aggressively lobbied against the use of anti-depressants using scare tactics.

http://www.watchman.org/sci/sci-time.htm

[sharncedar]

Suicide is up because we aren''t drugging our children enough. Really.

Perhaps we are drugging our children too much.

[hypnotoad72]

Maybe it''s because girls made in China are cheaper and the American ones can''t compete?

Worst of all, I don''t even know if I''m being fatuous or not, but there are a lot of people in this country feeling less than happy right now because of how they are treated by their fellow countrymen.

[johnshaft4]

Of course, suicide rates amongst fertile females are up dramitically during the Bush/Cheney regime. Via osmosis DECENT women would rather kill themselves then risk being impregnated with a "george rosemary baby bush" child.

[standlee5]

When you turn little girls into w.h.ores they''re bound to get depressed. The media has succeeded in not only turning women into objects but little girls and boys too. Watch prime tme drama and it is almost always about pedaphilia. They''re obsessed with it. They make it as tittilating as possible within acceptable boundaries.

[toldyouso21]

People tend to kill themselves when they feel their lives are hopeless and they can not conceive of it getting any better. Although perception is the main issue and the state of mind of the person who tries to kill themselves is at issue--of equal or even more importance are what life and risk factors have occurred in these kids'' lives that have exacerbated the outlook to just end it all? Recent cases seem to focus on the fact that many victims were sexually or physically abused over a period of time and could not reconcile what happened and did not get adequate help or resolution.

Face it, when a person tells you they want to kill themselves or that they have been abused--they need more than a pat on the back and a pep talk--something has been stolen from them--and unless we can help them regain their balance, the odds may tilt in the favor of them killing themselves just to stop the pain/memory.

[voxpopulus]

Men and boys kill themselves more than girls. Despite the bias of this article, it''s even admitted here.

Why do people ONLY take notice when it''s women? Don''t turn it into another stupid gender issue.

[oakishpines]

'' ... after the civil war, 80+% of the u.s. were self employed farmers ... now they invest in non charity and taxation ... ''

'' ... little militant kids can make a living marrying and slaving civilians, but militant adults disciple and chore little militant kids ... ''

'' ... denying access to congress to those who like beets and hairy women and naked boys would be unfair in a fair world ... ''

'' ... little girls can provide for my foods and tickles, they are very crafty and kind, but the general promised he would, but also said the army''s too busy taxing the world to be the few what feed it ... ''

'' ... i was # 3.5 billion, no one listened when i said ignorant naked kids are free from thousands years being made scarce, now i''m # 1 and my survival depends upon military skill and no one listens and most with agendas want me scarce ... ''

'' ... slaves were high dollar assets not typically battered much more than a $2000 computer ... wives and children, though, were liabilities and more likely to be put a day or few out of work ... ''

'' ... 3% of 3% can slave entire populations, 3% of 3% of 3% of 3% can slave the slaving population ... ''

'' ... don''t dance porno get sick tax world get well feed world songs rallied round sick beds drifting farm trails and rallied round well beds racing farm trails ... ''

[flreason]

sbbm: Ours was not a loving household. Neither of my parents ever spent "quality time" with me, and yet I never attempted suicide. I also have never had a manicure/nail painting--professional or by my mother. I seriously doubt that mothers spending more time with their daughters would significantly affect the statistics.

One of the the prime causes is the intolerance that school kids who are "different" face today. It is the hate culture typified by Ann Coulter and other media bigots. Children who suicide generally don''t do it because of neglect or stressful home lives, they do it because of mental illness that has a genetic component, and that is aggravated by peer social ostracism or relationship problems. But you''re right--the media making of young girls and boys into *** objects adds additional pressure at a time when they are dealing with body and hormone changes.

[dissidentman]

JohnShaft4: Only an irretrievably stupid, heartless libtard could post a reply like that. I thank God asshats like johnshaft4 are on the wrong(left)side.

[voxpopulus]

sbbm, I was criticising the original article not you. The fact is that if you add up other forms of self-destructive behaviour not classified as suicide (uot often so nonetheless), if you add up deaths on the job, high-risk occupations, if you add up the increased risk factors for males, it''s easier to see why the mean life expectancy for men is at least seven years younger than women, and what do the headlines focus on? Increase risk for women? Why don''t they focus more on the three boys who kill themselves for every girl? I guess women make better headline "victims".

[incog-nito]

Maybe they should stop killing themselves.

[taylpatr]

Well, I think their data must be off. I had five friends do it in seven years and there is no way that I know five hundred thousand people.
Be careful what you take as the truth!

[nothappyatall]

Oh well, not our problem, there''s far too many people who WANT to live or WANT to live and can''t (as in the case of a terminal cancer patient) who need help in various areas- for us to bother about wasting time on those who DON''T want to live.

Want to kill yourself, here''s the pills, adios!

[klingon69]

I guess now they will have to lock up ropes and check ids for someone to buy one, to make sure they are over 18.

[cmtw2006]

Girls, from 12-24 are under so much pressure these days.

If you are 12 years old, you are trying out for cheerleader and have to be "skinny enough" for the [tiny] uniform. If you are 16, you have to "look as good as the other girls," and have the expensive, designer handbags. If you are 23, as I am, you can have a high school diploma, be skinny and flash a fake boob to get anywhere you want, whereas the athletic girl with the college degree won''t advance in a company for months.

Not only are there so many pressures on young girls today, there are so many hormones that doctors and families overlook in developing young women. I think that the combination of trying to be "the best" and perfect PLUS PMDD, a much worse case of PMS, could be causing all of these suicides. IF you don''t know what PMDD, look it up. It''s not just an excuse, it''s a disease.

[ajapierce]

I honestly speaking think girls need to tone down all the clevage they are showing. Don''t you think that puts a lot of peer pressure on girls plus everyone else around them? What ever happened to wearing uniforms instead of T-shirts with wording over the chest or pants with wording on the butt? I think that would cause a lot of girls more pressure by getting stared and leared at more.

[alexisk87]

You know it''s the stress from TV Shows like "The Hills" or "Laguna Beach", Such peer pressure on these young girls isn''t fair. They tell them that the only way that they can be happy is if they are super skinny and wearing stuff like Hollister and AE. It''s stupid. People need to really watch what they say, and make sure that if they do say it, they''re not intending that everyone be just like them. It''s unrealistic!

[standlee5]

Maybe teens like the Disney Musical cutie should quit becoming role models for little girls then send out a nude pic to get attention. Are they going to let her go naked at the Disney parks.

[jeff-fla]

As I read all of the of the posts here. I wonder how many of you have lost a child to this. I have. When someone says only 4000, well it really means 400,000. That is what is affected by the act of one. I am glad to see the report. We need to talk about this and take it serious. I really believe that is the way we need to stem this tide. Be open about it with our kids, our friends, and our family. This is mental illness and it has signs and symptoms like any other illness. We need to talk so we can see the signs and get our kids help. Treatment is the only thing that will save them from this.
So lets talk about it, lets understand the signs and lets get help for the ones who need it.

[jeff-fla]

As I read all of the of the posts here. I wonder how many of you have lost a child to this. I have. When someone says only 4000, well it really means 400,000. That is what is affected by the act of one. I am glad to see the report. We need to talk about this and take it serious. I really believe that is the way we need to stem this tide. Be open about it with our kids, our friends, and our family. This is mental illness and it has signs and symptoms like any other illness. We need to talk so we can see the signs and get our kids help. Treatment is the only thing that will save them from this.
So lets talk about it, lets understand the signs and lets get help for the ones who need it.

[nggr]

i think they should impose restrictions on the sale of rope.

[udbpssd2]

My heart goes out to those who have had a suicide touch their lives. A word for those of you joking please think twice. In a time when we study so much social interaction yet we cannot see how our world is affecting our youth,it is hard to face our hearts.In a world where we are divided by our racisms, by our denominations, by our ethnicities and classes. Where so many are sad, and so many depressed or medicated.I blame the failure the American dream.

[udbpssd2]

My heart goes out to those who have had a suicide touch their lives. A word for those of you joking please think twice. In a time when we study so much social interaction yet we cannot see how our world is affecting our youth,it is hard to face our hearts.In a world where we are divided by our racisms, by our denominations, by our ethnicities and classes. Where so many are sad, and so many depressed or medicated.I blame the failure the American dream. . I say this because I am a surviver of a 20 something attempted suicide. I am older now and I say to you with insight take heed my friends with love i hope for comfort to you and yours in this time of uncertainty in America our teens need us now more than ever.

[godofredo29]

All these years when boys have been dying by suicide in huge numbers and you couldn''t get anyone to buy into gender specific programs to target these kids and now it''s suddenly seeming like a good idea? Whatever. Just so long as the approach with either gender isn''t the worn out, tried and failed, formula of: "Just say no to suicide." All potential suicides are INDIVIDUALS not just some social function in society. If they''re going to be encouraged not to go through with it, then they''ve got to see that there is something in it for them. That is, it won''t work to try to shame someone into not committing suicide, say, because of the hurt they''ll cause, or burden they''ll create. If you''re thinking about taking your life, you''re already beyond that and the only thing that would really change your mind is if you see that you, yourself, are going to find what is absent from your life or be spared from what is weighing you down in your life.

[oakishpines]

'' ... i just never could imagine walking into talk to a bunch of police and soldiers and saying to them: ''lets go to war in y''alls sons and daughters and brothers and sisters schools and call it ''dare ya'' and see how many little kids get mugged and raped and killed'' and then having them all say ''sounds great, let''s do it'' ... but that''s exactly what happened ... ''


'' ... it''s difficult for me to imagine any girl with savage naked men in the family running around telliung everyone to make all the savage naked men disappear, unless she has some personal grievance with such, but how many have such personal grievances and of those that do how may would actionally take such recourse, not many, and whos gonna do and say what they do and say folk should do and say, not many ... and besides, while having the savage naked men disappear today, assuming it can be done, and though it doesn''t gaurantteee that girls will be next, but it does greatly improve the odds that girls will be next, such that there is very little difference in preaching have the men removed and preaching have the girls removed ... and i just don''t see that as a real and serious and sensible threat to be concerned with ... ''