Youth may be at risk because of depression or other emotional challenges, impulsive behaviors, or alcohol and drug use.  Loss, such as the break-up of a relationship, access to firearms and other weapons, and bullying have also been identified as risk factors for suicide. 

 

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among adolescents aged 15–19 years. According to data from the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, among adolescents aged 12 to 17, 12.7% (or 3.3 million people) had serious thoughts of suicide, 5.9% (or 1.5 million people) made a suicide plan, and 3.4% (or 892,000 people) attempted suicide in the past year.

 

Data from the most recent Youth Risk Behaviors Survey showed that 8.9% of youth in grades 9-12 had made at least one suicide attempt in the past 12 months. It was also seen that female students attempted almost twice as often as male students (11% vs. 6.6%) and American Indian or Alaska Native students have the highest rate of attempt (25.5%) in comparison to white students (7.9 %).

 

Protective factors can help to mitigate the risk of suicide in young populations. Some of these protective factors include:  

• Strong connections to family, friends and in their communities 

• Access to appropriate mental health services and other support services 

• Good problem building skills and ability to build resilience 

 

Expanding mental health education within learning environments is also an essential step in helping youth talk about and address their mental health needs and wellbeing.