Suicides in Teen Girls Hit 40-Year High

[Celebrity]

It's the perfect time to tell your teens that you love them, because they are killing themselves more than ever before.

Suicide rates doubled among girls and rose by more than 30 percent among teen boys and young men between 2007 and 2015, the updated breakdown from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finds.

It’s all part of a growing national trend for more suicides, said CDC suicide expert Thomas Simon.

"There has been a substantial increase in suicide rates in adolescents aged 15 to 19 between 2007 and 2015," Simon said.

"Nationally overall we have been seeing an increase in suicide rates that is pretty pervasive among all age groups," added Simon. Overall suicide rates have gone up 28 percent since 2000, he said.

Image: Chart for Suicide Rates for Teens Aged 15-19
Suicide Rates for Teens Aged 15-19 Years, by Sex -- United States, 1975-2015. CDC

Why are teens killing themselves? They aren't getting what they were promised, they aren't even getting back what they put in, and they may not even get an adequate amount of what they need. Say what you will about the suicidal - most of them are either bitterly disappointed, hopelessly depressed and ashamed, or both. In forgiving the suicidal teens, we should seek ways to address the root cause of suicide among teenagers. The mental health crisis plays a part, but there are many factors contributing to the unhappiness of American teenagers. We cannot blame each one on a case by case basis in proportion to their mental health, since their environment is fundamental to the development from a child into a teenager.

Suicides in Teen Girls Hit 40-Year High - NBC News

 

[Crovax]

It's the perfect time to tell your teens that you love them, because they are killing themselves more than ever before.

View attachment 67220929
Image: Chart for Suicide Rates for Teens Aged 15-19
Suicide Rates for Teens Aged 15-19 Years, by Sex -- United States, 1975-2015. ��CDC

Why are teens killing themselves? They aren't getting what they were promised, they aren't even getting back what they put in, and they may not even get an adequate amount of what they need. Say what you will about the suicidal - most of them are either bitterly disappointed, hopelessly depressed and ashamed, or both. In forgiving the suicidal teens, we should seek ways to address the root cause of suicide among teenagers. The mental health crisis plays a part, but there are many factors contributing to the unhappiness of American teenagers. We cannot blame each one on a case by case basis in proportion to their mental health, since their environment is fundamental to the development from a child into a teenager.

Suicides in Teen Girls Hit 40-Year High - NBC News

Two words: social media

 

[MaggieD]

Two words: social media

Exactly.

 

[Winston]

Exactly.

ARe you saying that social media increases everyone's risk for suicide? Or, that it increases risk for people with suicidal tendencies?

 

[Grand Mal]

Two words: social media

Cyber-bullying?

 

[MaggieD]

ARe you saying that social media increases everyone's risk for suicide? Or, that it increases risk for people with suicidal tendencies?

I think it increases suicides.

 

[truthatallcost]

It's the perfect time to tell your teens that you love them, because they are killing themselves more than ever before.

View attachment 67220929
Image: Chart for Suicide Rates for Teens Aged 15-19
Suicide Rates for Teens Aged 15-19 Years, by Sex -- United States, 1975-2015. ��CDC

Why are teens killing themselves? They aren't getting what they were promised, they aren't even getting back what they put in, and they may not even get an adequate amount of what they need. Say what you will about the suicidal - most of them are either bitterly disappointed, hopelessly depressed and ashamed, or both. In forgiving the suicidal teens, we should seek ways to address the root cause of suicide among teenagers. The mental health crisis plays a part, but there are many factors contributing to the unhappiness of American teenagers. We cannot blame each one on a case by case basis in proportion to their mental health, since their environment is fundamental to the development from a child into a teenager.

Suicides in Teen Girls Hit 40-Year High - NBC News

Societal change; when their parents are divorced, they have to fend for themselves, society gives them medication instead of hope, & the growing isolation trend of spending time in front of a screen instead of with friends.

 

[BillRM]

The one thing I would suggest is to do whatever is needed to produce a child with very very high self esteem and you would not need to be concern over the child being driven to self harm by attacks on social media or by any other means.

I was an only child and the only grandchild of four very loving adults and I can remember laughing off attacks on myself due to a speech defect as a child.

Of course that can be overdone as I can still remember my first wife getting mad at me and stating you have a high opinion of yourself don't you and I just look at her and reply an rightly so.

 

[Mach]

Tragic, but I'm also shocked at the difference between boys and girls. What is that, like 4% for girls and 14% for boys!? I had no idea.
I knew us men checked out earlier in life expectancy, but apparently we take ourselves out over 3x more!

I agree, digital age means we communicate faster, with more people, with little privacy, more efficiently. And if suicide is often exacerbated socially, it gets the boost from social media and cell phones for the bad as well as the good.

We do seems to not depend on family much any longer. But many cultures around the world are very family oriented.
Isn't the fertility rate in the U.S. dropping at some alarming rate too? Scary!

 

[Crovax]

Tragic, but I'm also shocked at the difference between boys and girls. What is that, like 4% for girls and 14% for boys!? I had no idea.
I knew us men checked out earlier in life expectancy, but apparently we take ourselves out over 3x more!

I agree, digital age means we communicate faster, with more people, with little privacy, more efficiently. And if suicide is often exacerbated socially, it gets the boost from social media and cell phones for the bad as well as the good.

We do seems to not depend on family much any longer. But many cultures around the world are very family oriented.
Isn't the fertility rate in the U.S. dropping at some alarming rate too? Scary!

mostly in white people so its not a story yet

 

[BillRM]

Tragic, but I'm also shocked at the difference between boys and girls. What is that, like 4% for girls and 14% for boys!? I had no idea.
I knew us men checked out earlier in life expectancy, but apparently we take ourselves out over 3x more!

I agree, digital age means we communicate faster, with more people, with little privacy, more efficiently. And if suicide is often exacerbated socially, it gets the boost from social media and cell phones for the bad as well as the good.

We do seems to not depend on family much any longer. But many cultures around the world are very family oriented.
Isn't the fertility rate in the U.S. dropping at some alarming rate too? Scary!

We are far better then such nations as Japan as our birth rate the last I look was near the replacement level and of course with immigration the average age of our population is not greatly increasing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_the_United_States

The total fertility rate in the United States estimated for 2016 is 1.82 children per woman,[6][7] which is below the replacement fertility rate of approximately 2.1. Compared to other Western countries, in 2012, U.S. fertility rate was lower than that of France (2.01),[8] Australia (1.93) and the United Kingdom (1.92).[9] However, U.S. population growth is among the highest in industrialized countries,[10] because the differences in fertility rates are less than the differences in immigration levels, which are higher in the U.S.[11][12] The United States Census Bureau shows a population increase of 0.75% for the twelve-month period ending in July 2012. Though high by industrialized country standards, this is below the world average annual rate of 1.1%.[10]

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

mostly in white people so its not a story yet

not true

Fact Sheet: The Decline in U.S. Fertility

The U.S. total fertility rate (TFR) stood at 2.0 births per woman in 2009, but preliminary data from the National Center for Health Statistics show that the TFR dropped to 1.9 in 2010—well below the replacement level of 2.1.1

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Tragic, but I'm also shocked at the difference between boys and girls. What is that, like 4% for girls and 14% for boys!? I had no idea.
I knew us men checked out earlier in life expectancy, but apparently we take ourselves out over 3x more!

I agree, digital age means we communicate faster, with more people, with little privacy, more efficiently. And if suicide is often exacerbated socially, it gets the boost from social media and cell phones for the bad as well as the good.

We do seems to not depend on family much any longer. But many cultures around the world are very family oriented.
Isn't the fertility rate in the U.S. dropping at some alarming rate too? Scary!

Are the numbers you posted the attempts or actual suicides?

I believe men/boys typically use methods that work. Guns, hanging, driving into semi trucks

Women and girls tend to use drugs slit wrists (done incorrectly) etc and can often be saved

 

[Captain Adverse]

Tragic, but I'm also shocked at the difference between boys and girls. What is that, like 4% for girls and 14% for boys!? I had no idea.
I knew us men checked out earlier in life expectancy, but apparently we take ourselves out over 3x more!

I agree, digital age means we communicate faster, with more people, with little privacy, more efficiently. And if suicide is often exacerbated socially, it gets the boost from social media and cell phones for the bad as well as the good.

We do seems to not depend on family much any longer. But many cultures around the world are very family oriented.
Isn't the fertility rate in the U.S. dropping at some alarming rate too? Scary!

Exactly.

The bigger issue is the male suicide rate, consistently 3 to 4 time higher if this chart is to be believed...yet the focus is on the slight jump among females?

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Exactly.

The bigger issue is the male suicide rate, consistently 3 to 4 time higher if this chart is to be believed...yet the focus is on the slight jump among females?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teenage_suicide_in_the_United_States#Sex_ratio

In the U.S, male adolescents commit suicide at a rate five times greater than that of female adolescents, although suicide attempts by females are three times as frequent as those by males. A possible reason for this is the method of attempted suicide for males is typically that of firearm use, with a 78-90% chance of fatality. Females are more likely to try a different method, such as ingesting poison.[3] Females have more parasuicides. This includes using different methods, such as drug overdose, which are usually less effective.

 

[Crovax]

not true

Fact Sheet: The Decline in U.S. Fertility

View attachment 67220930

Like I said with whites being the only major group below the replacement rate its not a story yet

white people were the only demographic to lose people last year

 

[Lord Tammerlain]

Like I said with whites being the only major group below the replacement rate its not a story yet

white people were the only demographic to lose people last year

African americans are not much higher, the Latino number is higher due to recent immigrants. If I recall correctly the birth rate for 3rd generation latino's is pretty much the same as white and blacks

 

[Hawkeye10]

Tragic, but I'm also shocked at the difference between boys and girls. What is that, like 4% for girls and 14% for boys!? I had no idea.
I knew us men checked out earlier in life expectancy, but apparently we take ourselves out over 3x more!

I agree, digital age means we communicate faster, with more people, with little privacy, more efficiently. And if suicide is often exacerbated socially, it gets the boost from social media and cell phones for the bad as well as the good.

We do seems to not depend on family much any longer. But many cultures around the world are very family oriented.
Isn't the fertility rate in the U.S. dropping at some alarming rate too? Scary!

And so why is it that 9 times out of 10 (seemingly) it is the girls who are promoted....usually cute white ones?

Enquiring minds would like to know.

Anti-male bias maybe?

JUST MAYBE

 

[Hawkeye10]

Are the numbers you posted the attempts or actual suicides?

I believe men/boys typically use methods that work. Guns, hanging, driving into semi trucks

Women and girls tend to use drugs slit wrists (done incorrectly) etc and can often be saved

Guys tend to want to die, a lot of the girls are looking for attention is how that is usually put....

 

[spud_meister]

And so why is it that 9 times out of 10 (seemingly) it is the girls who are promoted....usually cute white ones?

Enquiring minds would like to know.

Anti-male bias maybe?

JUST MAYBE

Anti-male bias? Most media outlets are run by men. Cute white chicks are just more sympathetic and will get a more emotional reaction from most of the audience.

 

[joG]

Two words: social media

Two words? Failed parents.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Guys tend to want to die, a lot of the girls are looking for attention is how that is usually put....

Incorrect. As males tend to be more violent and aggressive, they tend to choose more violent and aggressive means in order to kill themselves. They would be more likely to use a weapon, whereas females would be more likely to use something less aggressive like pills. IT has NOTHING to do with looking for attention. That is a real ignorant thing to say and a great way to make the individual feel more isolated and worthless.

 

[CaptainCourtesy]

Causes in no particular order:

1) Social Media creating more social isolation (teens "hang out" more online than they do in RL) and the creating a HUGE potential for bullying.
2) Grade inflation giving too many teens the false sense of being able to get into extremely high ranking schools.
3) The Media: magazines and TV often portray "perfection", something that most teens can't fulfill. With as much access to the media as teens have, this issue is always right in their faces.
4) Expectations from parents, society, and friends. This really hasn't changed much but with the other things on this list, it's intensified. One issue is that we, too often, tell teens what they are doing wrong or not doing enough of rather than what they are doing right.
5) Being overscheduled. Kids today are often involved in so many activities or in one or two activities very intensely, that they have no "down time". I've worked with lots of teens like this. This was initially used as a baby sitting alternative... which leads to a secondary issue: the economy. Because of the work schedules of parents, they don't get to spend as much time with the teens. Research shows that when teens have good relationships with their parents, they tend to do better.
6) Too much homework. This goes to the overscheduling point above. Not enough down time.
7) Sleep. Research tells us that teens need more sleep than we had thought, previously. A 15 year old, for example, does best with about 9-9.5 hours of sleep. Their circadian rhythms are also a little different than adults. They do best going to bed around midnight and getting up around 9 or 10. NONE of this works with our current schoolday structure, which is more patterned after farmlife from 150 years ago. This perpetual sleep deprivation not only affects mood, but other aspect already mentioned.
8) The ignoring of mental health issues. All too often, teenage issues are dismissed as "a phase" or "just being a teenager" when a mental health issue might be going on. Also, since a teenager's brain is not fully developed, especially the parts that control impulsivity, not attending to gestures, threats, or other concerns could be a grave mistake.

Those are some of the basics as far as why suicide rates are increasing. I'm sure there are more, but in my experience, these are key ones.

 

[RetiredUSN]

My grandson just turned 14, and my daughter let him pick a cell phone of his choice as his birthday present for up to $300.00

He ended up with a basic LG Revere flip phone..... by choice.

He said he didn't need all the drama, and he gets irritated when his freinds all have their faces glued to the phone while they are hanging out.

Pop Pop was quite impressed!

 

[RabidAlpaca]

mostly in white people so its not a story yet

Like I said with whites being the only major group below the replacement rate its not a story yet
white people were the only demographic to lose people last year

LOL. Only you could take a thread about teen suicide and make it about race and how hard white people have it. That's just your 'theme' isn't it?