According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been an increase in suicide and homicide rates among youth in the United States.
The report found that the suicide rate among young people aged between 10 and 24 years increased by 56 percent from 2007 to 2017. The report also found that the homicide rate, which decreased by 23 percent between 2007 and 2014, increased by 18 percent through 2017.
In the United States, violent death, including suicide and homicide, is one of the major causes of premature death in younger adults.
In 2010, the suicide rate among teenagers or young adults exceeded the homicide rate, per the CDC report.
CDC Statistician and the report’s author Sally Curtin said, “The chances of a person in this age range dying by suicide is greater than homicide, when it used to be the reverse. When a leading cause of death among our youth is increasing, it behooves all of us to pay attention and figure out what’s going on.”
In general, suicide rates have increased across all age groups, increasing to more than 30% between 1999 and 2017.
In 2017, suicide was the second leading cause of death in people between the ages of 10 and 24, while homicide ranked third, according to the report.
Curtin and her team found that the suicide and homicide rates were relatively stable among younger people between 2000 and 2007. However, the rates started increasing since 2007.
Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist Dr. Benjamin Shain from NorthShore Medical Group in Illinois said, “Unfortunately, it’s not surprising, but it is highly disturbing. To see it statistically across the country hits me in a different way.” In spite of growing concern about the rising youth suicide rates, the researchers have not found the exact cause. They said it could be due to depression, stress, drug use, and access to forearms, while some experts blame social media use.
