Teen Suicide

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among 13- to 19-year-olds, after unintended injury and before homicides, and the teen suicide rate has risen recently. Yet researchers and mental health professionals cannot pinpoint why the rate has climbed, and they know little about what causes someone thinking about suicide to attempt it. Moreover, the ability to predict who is at immediate risk is limited. As a result, suicide screening tools are of limited effectiveness, and most school-based suicide-prevention programs may not reduce teen suicides. Yet researchers are hopeful that new studies, including large trials of three kinds of psychotherapy in adolescents, will increase understanding of teen suicide and lead to better identification and treatment of high-risk teens. Meanwhile, a growing number of states are requiring educators to be trained to recognize and respond to potentially suicidal youths. Additionally, researchers have begun delving into physical brain characteristics that might be connected to teen suicide.