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The Epidemiology of Adolescent Suicidal Behaviors in the United States: Changing Trends Worth Your Attention and Concern :

October 17, 2019

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an annual survey of a nationally representative sampling of adolescents YRBS is a great source for monitoring trends of interest and concern for all of us who care for teenagers, including suicidal risk behavior.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) is an annual survey of a nationally representative sampling of adolescents YRBS is a great source for monitoring trends of interest and concern for all of us who care for teenagers, including suicidal risk behavior. The rate of death by suicide over the past ten years for teens ages 15-19 has been increasing (CDC data from a query—available at http:/wonder.cdc.gov). Lindsey et al. (10.1542/peds.2019-1187) in a study being released in our journal this week evaluated YRBS data over the past 17 years regarding suicidal behaviors by gender, race, and ethnicity in 198,540 high school students. The good news is that the authors found significant linear decreases in self-reported suicidal ideation and plans from 1991-2017, with females having a noted decrease in their attempts over time.  Black adolescent males and females however had increases in suicide attempts compared to White teens and to Hispanics, and Asian Pacific Islander adolescents had decrease in attempts.  Still, Black adolescents have a lower actual suicide rate than White adolescents. Why is this? 

To help interpret the many interesting and concerning trends in suicidal behaviors, we asked child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Shain from the University of Chicago (10.1542/peds.2019-1912) to weigh in with an accompanying commentary.  Dr. Shain offers some interesting thoughts and hypotheses as to why Black teens may have more attempts over time but lower rates of death by suicide compared to White teens. This is a study and accompanying commentary to read carefully in order to develop individualized approach to the prevention of suicide. 

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