About Youth Suicide:

Nationally, suicide ranks as the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15-24, behind only homicides and accidents. Each year, there are approximately 12 suicides for every 100,000 adolescents, with approximately 12 young people between the ages of 15-24 dying every day by suicide.

Whereas suicides account for 1.2% of all deaths in the U.S. annually, they comprise 12.8% of all deaths among 15-24 year olds.  Click here to read more.

 

 

 

 

Availability of Affordable Treatment

Outreach toward people at risk for suicide who are not receiving appropriate treatment is one of the prevention strategies recommended by former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher as part of his proposed national strategy for suicide prevention. Empirical evidence from other parts of the world confirms that access to services can help reduce suicide. Regions with higher rates of inpatient and outpatient treatment for depression, in particular, have been found to have lower suicide rates.

According to a survey of individuals who said they were suicidal, cost of treatment was a concern for a high proportion of respondents. Among people who have considered suicide, 62% stated that expense was a factor in not seeking help. Youth at risk for suicide generally cannot control whether they can afford treatment, and so they are forced to rely on their parents’ decision regarding whether or not treatment is affordable.  Click here to read more.

 

 

 

Colorado Trust Report

The Colorado Trust has produced a report outlining the “Three Strategies” for suicide prevention, which include the improvement of financing for mental health services. The report concludes that “to improve the ability of the mental health system to meet the needs of individuals at risk for committing suicide, mental health services should be available and affordable, particularly to people contemplating suicide.”

The report further finds that “to prevent suicide attempts and deaths, the state of Colorado needs to make a commitment to ensure funding from both public and private sources so that necessary services are both available and affordable.”

 

The information on this page has been adapted from the following sources:

  • American Association of Suicidology website: “Youth Suicide Fact Sheet”
  • American Association of Suicidology website: “Some Facts About Suicide in the U.S.A.”
  • American Association of Suicidology website: “Understanding and Helping the Individual”
  • State of Colorado Office of Suicide Prevention. Recent data provided by the Office of Suicide Prevention via correspondence.
  • The Colorado Trust, “Suicide in Colorado.”
  • State of Colorado Suicide Prevention and Intervention Plan, The Report of the Governor’s Suicide Prevention Advisory Commission. November 1998.

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