Suicide Attempts by Black Adolescents Rising, Report Suggests

Between 1991 and 2017, the rate of black adolescents who reported attempting suicide rose, according to areport published Monday inPediatrics. This trend was not seen in adolescents who identified as white, Hispanic, Asian American or Pacific Islander, or being of multiple races.“Examining trends in suicidal ideation and behaviors over time by sex and race and ethnicity allows us to determine where to focus prevention and intervention efforts,” wrote Michael A. Lindsey, Ph.D., M.S.W., M.P.H., of New York University and colleagues.Lindsey and colleagues analyzed data from the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) —a national survey administered to high schoolers across the United States—from 1991 through 2017. As part of this survey, youth were asked to report suicidal thoughts and behaviors; such questions included the following: “During the past 12 months, did you make a plan about how you would atte mpt suicide?”; “During the past 12 months, how many times did you actually attempt suicide?”; and “Did any attempt result in an injury, poisoning, or overdose that had to be treated by a doctor or nurse?”The sample included 198,540 high school students. During the study period, the weighted overall prevalence rates of suicidal ideation, plan, attempt, and injury by attempt were 18.8%, 14.7%, 7.9%, and 2.5%, respectively, Lindsey and colleagues reported. While the analysis revealed that the rates of suicidal ideation and suicide plans by the adolescents trended do...
Source: Psychiatr News - Category: Psychiatry Tags: adolescents Benjamin Shain Michael Lindsey pediatrics suicide attempt suicide ideation Youth Risk Behavior Survey Source Type: research