Teen Suicide in Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Suicide is a serious public health problem. Among youth, it exacts an enormous toll due to the significant years of potential life lost. In 2021, suicide was the second-leading cause of death among those ages 10-14 and 20-34. Rates of teen suicide have been on the rise since 2007.

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 showed that 22% of high school students seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year and 10% attempted suicide in the past year.

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 economic burden of suicide among those younger than 25, including medical expenses and work loss were estimated at nearly $80 billion.

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

• Males compared with females. However, females attempt suicide more often than males.
• American Indian/Alaska Native adolescents compared with other racial and ethnic groups, by a wide margin. White adolescents have a higher suicide rate compared with Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic and Black adolescents.

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

Youth suicide is preventable. Prevention efforts can be aimed at all levels of influence: individual, relationship, community and societal. Suicide rates for at-risk youth can be substantially reduced by:

• 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. 

• Schools are implementing school-based mental health services. These programs help students achieve academically in addition to building social skills, self-awareness and leadership. 
• Making it more difficult to die in an act of deliberate self-harm. Interventions include building suicide barriers on bridges, removing guns from homes with at-risk youth and lethal means counseling. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 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.
• Teaching coping and problem-solving skills.
• Identifying and supporting people at risk.

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. Services are also available via text and online chat, and the Lifeline website offers other accessibility, prevention and crisis resources as well.

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

Barber, Catherine W., and Matthew J. Miller. 2014. “Reducing a Suicidal Person’s Access to Lethal Means of Suicide.” American Journal of Preventive Medicine 47 (3): S264–72. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2014.05.028.

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

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention. 2023. “Youth Risk Behavior Survey Data Summary & Trends Report: 2011-2021.” 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. 2023. “Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2021.” MMWR Supplements 72 (1): 45–54. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7201a6.

Ivey-Stephenson, Asha Z., Zewditu Demissie, Alexander E. Crosby, Deborah M. Stone, Elizabeth Gaylor, Natalie Wilkins, Richard Lowry, and Margaret Brown. 2020. “Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Among High School Students — Youth Risk Behavior Survey, United States, 2019.” MMWR Supplements 69 (1): 47–55. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su6901a6.

Miron, Oren, Kun-Hsing Yu, Rachel Wilf-Miron, and Isaac S. Kohane. 2019. “Suicide Rates Among Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States, 2000-2017.” JAMA 321 (23): 2362. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2019.5054.

Peterson, Cora, Gabrielle F. Miller, Sarah Beth L. Barnett, and Curtis Florence. 2021. “Economic Cost of Injury — United States, 2019.” MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 70 (48): 1655–59. https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7048a1.