Preteen Suicide Rates Show Alarming Increase

Despite growing acceptance of mental health treatment, preteen suicides keep climbing at an alarming rate.

New research – appearing in JAMA Network – reveals that between 2001 and 2022, more than 2,200 preteens ended their lives. After several years of modest improvement –  until 2007 – rates grew more than 8 percent annually between 2008 and 2022.

Researchers observed a significant bump in suicide rates across all demographics.

• Girls showed the most significant uptick.
• American Indian (or Alaska Native) and Asian or Pacific Islander preteens saw significant increases – as did Hispanic preteens.
• The incidence of firearm suicides nearly doubled.

Breaking Down the Suicide Data

The study highlights the steadily growing suicide rate among preteens, particularly among girls, whose rates have closed the gap with boys. Between 2001 and 2007, suicide was the 11th leading cause of death for female preteens, jumping to the fifth-leading cause of death between 2008 and 2022. For male preteens, suicide remained the fifth leading cause of death throughout the study period.

Black preteens had the highest suicide rates in both periods, while Hispanic preteens experienced the highest percentage increase. These trends emphasize the need for a deeper understanding of suicide risks among racial and ethnic subgroups, including the growing multiracial population, the researchers wrote.

Hanging or suffocation emerged as the predominant suicide method throughout the study. Firearm suicides, however, saw the largest increase.

The study’s authors concede that potential misclassification of suicides and a lack of detailed racial and ethnic data could cloud the accuracy of some of these results.

More Americans Embracing Mental Health Care

The research appears to to received some supporting evidence in the just-released 2023 “National Survey on Drug Use and Health.”

The annual report from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is “a primary source of statistical information on self-reported substance use and mental health of the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population 12 or older.”

The year’s publication shows that nearly 32 percent of adolescents – or 8.3 million – sought mental health treatment – that’s up dramatically from 2022 when only half a million of the country’s adolescents sought help.

By comparison, 23 percent of American adults – or slightly more than 59 million –  reached out for treatment in 2023. That represents a marked improvement over the 3.4 million who spoke to someone in 2022.

“Each year, the NSDUH data helps us identify and address unmet healthcare needs across America. We’re pleased to see that more people received mental health treatment in 2023 than the previous year,”  HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Miriam E. Delphin-Rittmon, Ph.D., said in a press release.

Other highlights of the report include:

• Among youth aged 12 to 17, 4.5 million had a major depressive episode.
• Nearly one out of every five kids also reported a substance use disorder.
• Meanwhile, 5 percent of adults (12.8 million people) thought about killing themselves.
• 1.4% percent of adults – or 3.7 million people – made a suicide plan.
• And 0.6% (1.5 million people) attempted suicide.
• Finally, multiracial adults were more likely to experience mental illness and serious suicidal thoughts compared to other groups.

All of this research lays the foundation for future studies to target specific factors that might influence preteen suicide. It also highlights “the importance of culturally informed, developmentally appropriate prevention strategies, robust risk screening, and lethal means restriction to address this escalating public health issue.”

Further Reading

Sexual Abuse and Its Impact on Suicidal Ideation

Despair is Killing More Middle-Aged Black and Native Americans

Social Media Images Can Predict Suicide Risk