New research has found that suicide among younger demographics has risen drastically in recent years, and reports show that parents have been left unaware.
According to a report from the Wall Street Journal, the number of children dying by suicide has risen to drastic levels in recent years, and experts can't point to a single reason why.
The numbers show that suicide rates for females aged 10 to 14 more than tripled from 2007 to 2020, from 0.5 per 100,000 to 2 per 100,000, data from the National Center for Health Statistics reported.
For males in that same age group, the number more than doubled, going from 1.2 per 100,000 to 3.6 per 100,000 during the same time. So now, for kids in the age range, suicide is the second leading cause of death.
Of the children in the data set who reported having suicidal thoughts, 77% of their parents shared that they were unaware of what their child was feeling.
One parent, Stuart Wright, whose daughter took her life at 10 in January of 2020, was in that percentage, and he says that families need to take it seriously and be aware of the danger.
"This can absolutely happen to your kid," Wright said to the Journal.
With the increase in suicides, there has also been a jump in suicidal thoughts, according to an analysis of data published in the Journal Translational Psychiatry.
The data came from an extensive study of adolescent health and brain development that followed nearly 12,000 youngsters across the U.S.
The paper found that among kids aged 9 and 10, 14.3 % reportedly had suicidal thoughts, according to their parents who were asked. On top of that, 1.26% of parents reported their children had attempted suicide.
When it comes to why more American children are experiencing high rates of suicide and suicidal thoughts, psychologists are left unsure, however, new research is pointing to some risk factors.
These factors include family conflict, early exposure to alcohol, and easy access to information about suicide, like lethal means, readily available online, the Journal reported. Beyond that, scientists have also found that ADHD and behavior problems are closely linked to suicidal thoughts.
When it comes to who is most at risk, Arielle H. Sheftall, the principal investigator at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Ohio, said to the Journal that Black children ages 5 to 12 are twice as likely to die by suicide compared to white children. The report also found that those who are gay or bisexual or have lower family incomes are also more likely to attempt suicide.
A 10-year study on pre-adolescent suicide is ongoing with funding from the National Institutes of Health to help researchers study why the trend is moving in its direction in order to stop any more tragedies.
Wright knows this tragedy now all too well and urges parents to talk with their kids since he never got the chance.
"If I could rewind the clock, I would sit down and ask her: 'Have you ever thought of hurting yourself? Do you know what suicide is?" Wright said.
Related
Related
