Youth Suicide Rates Are High : By CDC

In a report by the Centre for diseases and prevention filed on Friday as we observed the national suicide prevention week from 6th September to 12th September stated that the suicide rates among 10 -24 increased by 60% between 2007 and 2018. The rise is high in most of the cities but it is significantly high in 42 cities.

• The 2016-2018 suicide rate of persons aged 10-24 were highest for Alaska
• States with the highest suicide rates are South Dakota, Montana, Wyoming and New Mexico.
• States in the Northeast were among those with the lowest suicide rates: New Jersey, Rhode Island, New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts.
• Even states with the lowest rates experienced significant increases: New Jersey has increased to 39%, New York about 44% and Massachusetts about 64%.

In the last decade, there is a significant increase in suicides commonly between young people. There are theories by public health experts but the data isn’t enough to blame entirely the social media platform as the suicide rates are not increasing in every country that has seen a rise in its social media use.

With the ongoing pandemic and the lockdowns observed took a toll on the mental health of already vulnerable youth. Experts believe that stressors such as climate change and economic recession increasing the concerns of the youth. Additional factors can be the fear of school shooting and the prohibitive cost of college may also be factors. As experts say that the youth is struggling to imagine their futures. Poor access to mental health services can also be an obstacle.

The African- American teen suicide rates are also rising far faster than white youth. With already COVID -19 disproportionate death toll in black communities, social distancing and vicious trauma / vicious fear of the police violence or white supremacy which is “particularly deleterious in our weakened conditions ”

Experts stated that suicide is only the tip of the iceberg, there are so many challenging conditions leading up to – take extreme depression, anxiety, child abuse, domestic violence. Though white youth still die by suicide at a higher rate but still the rate of suicides in black youth is increasing rapidly than any other ethnic community present in the country.