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Teen Suicide Rates Up
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| Wednesday, April 18th, 2007 | Emily Halevy | CWK Network Producer |
“It’s very significant. Anybody that dies is very important. There other data that are going along with that we’re have to track. So it’s a question of … is this a regional effect, is this a reporting effect, is this a trend … or is it not?”
– Shannon Croft, M.D., Psychiatrist
After a decade of decline, the Centers for Disease Control reports, teenage suicide rates are up. What do these numbers mean?
Marian McCord, for example, lost her son Chad to suicide. "Chad was just an awesome kid. He was just filled with fun. He had a sense of humor. He was bright. He was athletic. He was a boy scout."
"I remember how good it felt to hug him and how sweet he was,” says Chad’s former girlfriend, Abbi Howe.
Chad McCord also suffered from severe depression and bipolar disorder. When he was 18 years old, he ran onto a busy highway and killed himself.
According to the CDC… after a decade of decline, between 2003 and 2004, the suicide rate among teenagers climbed 18-percent.
"The question is: what does that mean and what’s the significance? There have been a number of people that have tried to interpret it in certain ways," says Dr. Shannon Croft, a child psychiatrist with Emory University School of Medicine.
One explanation, he says, is that fewer kids are taking anti-depressant medications today because in 2004 the FDA issued what’s called “a black box warning” that anti-depressants may cause suicidal thoughts in teens.
In fact, after the black box warning, prescriptions of anti-depressants for children dropped by almost five percent.
”We think that there are probably all kinds of negative consequences of kids not taking medicine,” says Dr. Croft. “So it’s really important that we all do what we can to get the message out that depression is a treatable illness and that there are all kinds of treatments that are available to people that may or may not include medicine. It’s important not to vilify any kind of particular treatment and lead people who are depressed not to get help.”
"You owe it to your child to give your child the best chance that they have,” says Mrs. McCord, “You've got to try. You've got to try. Had I not done that with Chad, had I not tried, I wouldn't be able to live with myself."
What We Need To Know
- A teenager who is contemplating suicide may complain of being a bad person or feeling “rotten inside.” (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- Some teens will give verbal hints with statements such as “I won’t be a problem for you much longer,” “Nothing matters,” “It’s no use,” and “I won’t see you again.” (American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)
- If your child admits to suicidal feelings, don’t act shocked. This will put distance between you. Be willing to listen. Allow for the expression of feelings. Accept those feelings. (American Association of Suicidology)
Resources
- American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- The Centers For Disease Control and Prevention
- American Association of Suicidology
