Teen Suicide in Alaska

Alaska

Suicide is a serious public health problem. Among youth, it exacts an enormous toll due to the significant years of potential life lost. In 2022, suicide was the second-leading cause of death for those ages 10-14 in the United States. 

In addition to those who die by suicide, many more adolescents have suicidal thoughts or attempt suicide and survive. Results from the 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year and 10% had attempted suicide in the past year.

In 2023, the Surgeon General issued an advisory about the effects of social media on youth mental health. While social media can have positive impacts on mental health by providing positive community spaces, studies have shown that there is an association between adolescents spending more time on social media and having poor mental health outcomes. 

Risk factors associated with suicide among adolescents include:

• Mental and behavioral health conditions such as depression, substance abuse and personality and eating disorders, particularly when two or more conditions exist simultaneously.
• Previous suicide attempts.
• Family history of depression or suicide.
• Family factors such as violence at home.
• Physical or sexual abuse.
• Academic stress, bullying or disciplinary problems at school.

In 2019, the total cost of suicide among people younger than 25 in the U.S. was estimated at nearly $80 billion, including medical expenses and work losses.

According to America’s Health Rankings analysis, the teen suicide rate is higher among: 

• Young men compared with young women. However, young women attempt suicide more often than their male counterparts.
• American Indian/Alaska Native teenagers compared with teens of other races and ethnicities, by a wide margin. White adolescents have a higher suicide rate than Black, Asian, multiracial and Hispanic adolescents.

High school students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, questioning or another non-heterosexual identity (LGBQ+) are more likely to seriously consider attempting suicide, make a suicide plan and attempt suicide compared with heterosexual students.

Youth suicide is preventable. Prevention efforts can work at all levels of influence — individual, relationship, community and societal. Some ways to reduce suicide rates for at-risk youth include:

• Knowing the signs. Four out of 5 suicide deaths are preceded by warning signs such as suicidal threats, previous suicide attempts, depression, preoccupation or obsession with death or making final arrangements. 

• Implementing school-based mental health services. In addition to building social skills, self-awareness and leadership, these programs have been shown to help students achieve academically. A study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health found that providing school-based mental health services decreased self-reported suicide attempts by 15%.
• Making it more difficult to die in an act of deliberate self-harm. Interventions include lethal means counseling, building suicide barriers on bridges and removing guns from homes with at-risk youth. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) lists several strategies to prevent suicide, including:

• Strengthening economic support.
• Creating protective environments. 
• Improving access to and delivery of suicide care and other mental health services.
• Promoting healthy relationships.
• Teaching coping and problem-solving skills to youth and families.
• Identifying and supporting people at risk.

The CDC also has specific school-based strategies and approaches that promote and support the mental health and well-being of adolescents. 

Further, Youth.gov provides several resources on preventing youth suicide. In 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline was launched to provide an easy-to-remember number for 24/7 confidential crisis support for people in distress. Their website offers additional forms of crisis support through text and online chat, as well as other accessibility, prevention and crisis resources.

Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce suicide attempts by adolescents.

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Bilsen, Johan. “Suicide and Youth: Risk Factors.” Frontiers in Psychiatry 9 (October 30, 2018): 540. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00540.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, Division of Adolescent and School Health, February 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/data/yrbs/pdf/YRBS_Data-Summary-Trends_Report2023_508.pdf.

Gaylor, Elizabeth M., Kathleen H. Krause, Laura E. Welder, Adina C. Cooper, Carmen Ashley, Karin A. Mack, Alexander E. Crosby, Eva Trinh, Asha Z. Ivey-Stephenson, and Lisa Whittle. “Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021.” MMWR Supplements 72, no. 1 (April 28, 2023): 45–54. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a6.

Golberstein, Ezra, Irina Zainullina, Aaron Sojourner, and Mark A. Sander. “Effects of School-Based Mental Health Services on Youth Outcomes.” Journal of Human Resources 59, no. S (April 2024): S256–81. https://doi.org/10.3368/jhr.1222-12703R2.

Miron, Oren, Kun-Hsing Yu, Rachel Wilf-Miron, and Isaac S. Kohane. “Suicide Rates Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2000-2017.” JAMA 321, no. 23 (June 18, 2019): 2362. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.5054.

Peterson, Cora, Gabrielle F. Miller, Sarah Beth L. Barnett, and Curtis Florence. “Economic Cost of Injury — United States, 2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 70, no. 48 (December 3, 2021): 1655–59. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7048a1.