WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently conducted a study that revealed that the rate of suicide among preteens (ages 8-12) has been steadily increasing by approximately 8% each year since 2008.
This investigation, published in JAMA Network Open, utilized data from the CDC's Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System, covering the period from 2001 to 2022 for U.S. youth.
Alarmingly, the study indicated that female preteens experienced a significant increase in suicide rates in comparison to their male counterparts. Among different demographics, it was observed that Black preteens had the highest overall suicide rate, while Hispanic preteens demonstrated the largest percentage increase.
The comprehensive analysis of suicide deaths among preteens considered various factors such as sex, race, ethnicity, method of suicide, and geographic location. The study further identified hanging and suffocation as the most common methods of suicide, with firearms emerging as the fastest-growing method.
Jennifer Hoffman, an emergency medicine physician at the Children's Hospital of Chicago and the leader of the research team, highlighted a particularly concerning finding: three out of five young individuals who died by suicide did not have any previously recorded mental health conditions, such as clinical depression, schizophrenia, or anxiety disorders.
In response to these distressing findings, Hoffman emphasized the critical need to improve equitable access to mental health screening, diagnosis, and treatment for all youth. She also stressed the importance of open and honest conversations between parents and their children, particularly preteens and boys, about any potential worries or distressing experiences they may be encountering.
Hoffman noted, 'Stressful life circumstances can be risk factors for youth suicide, even in the absence of a mental health diagnosis.' Furthermore, she highlighted the importance of ensuring that preteens and teens receive an annual wellness check so that their pediatrician can evaluate their mental health.
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