Risk Factors for Adolescent Suicide

Suicide is currently the third leading cause of death for youth between the ages of 15 and 24, and each year, nearly 4,600 youth ages 10 to 24 commit suicide3. Even more troubling, for every completed suicide among youth ages 15 to 24, there are between 100 and 200 suicide attempts. A nationally representative survey of youth conducted in 2011 found that 15.8% of high school students seriously contemplated suicide in the last year, 12.8% had made a plan to commit suicide, 7.8% had attempted suicide at least once, and 2.4% received medical care for an injury sustained during a suicide attempt.