The epidemiology of youth suicide

doi:10.1017/CBO9780511550423.002

1 - The epidemiology of youth suicide

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 04 December 2009

Madelyn S. Gould ,

David Shaffer and

Ted Greenberg

Edited by

Robert A. King and

Alan Apter

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Madelyn S. Gould: Affiliation:
Professor, Psychiatry and Public Health (Epidemiology), Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive Unit 72, New York, NY 10032 USA e-mail: gouldm@child.cpmc.columbia.edu tel: +1-212-543-5329, fax: +1-212-543-5966
David Shaffer: Affiliation:
Irving Philips Professor of Psychiatry, Columbia University; Director of Child Psychiatry, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 1051 Riverside Drive, New York, NY 10032 USA e-mail: shafferd@child.cpmc.columbia.edu tel: +1-212-543-5947, fax: +1-212-543-5966
Ted Greenberg: Affiliation:
Research Scientist, Columbia University, New York State Psychiatric Institute, 722 West 168th Street, New York, NY 10032 USA e-mail: greenbet@child.cpmc.columbia.edu tel: +1-212-543-5931
Robert A. King: Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
Alan Apter: Affiliation:
Tel-Aviv University

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Summary

Introduction

This chapter reviews three major sources of data that are used to derive the epidemiology of completed suicide in children and adolescents - official mortality statistics, the psychological autopsy literature, and general population epidemiologic surveys of nonlethal suicidal behavior. A presentation of the rates andpatterns of completed and attempted suicide will be followed by a discussion of the risk factors for youth suicide. This information on the epidemiology of youth completed and attempted suicide can be applied to planning of services, the drawing of causal inferences or the identification of developmental phenomena.

Suicide rates and patterns

Completed suicide

Leading causes of adolescent and young adult death in the U.S.

Unintentional injuries, suicide and homicide are consistently the leading causes of death among youth aged 10–24 in the U.S. (Table 1.1 Suicide was the fourth leading cause of death among 10- to 14-year-olds, and the third leading cause of death among 15- to 19-year-olds and among 20- to 24-year-olds in 1999. The rankings vary by gender and ethnicity: suicide accounts for more deaths among males and whites. Age, gender, and ethnic differences in incidence will be discussed further below.

Age

The incidence of suicide varies markedly by age. In 1999, 192 boys and 50 girls aged between 10 and 14 committed suicide in the U.S., accounting for 5.8% (242/4121) of all deaths occurring in this age group. The age-specific mortality rate from suicide was 1.2 per 100,000.

Keywords

epidemiologic surveys ethnicity mortality statistics National Center for Health Statistics psychological autopsy literature youth suicide nonlethal suicidal behavior

Type: Chapter
Information: Suicide in Children and Adolescents , pp. 1 - 40

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511550423.002 [Opens in a new window]

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Print publication year: 2003

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1 - The epidemiology of youth suicide

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