The number of children ages 8 to 12 who have died by suicide has increased by roughly 8% a year since 2008. And the increase includes a disproportionate share of young girls, according to a study team from the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
The disturbing findings in the study were published in the journal JAMA Network Open.
Besides preteen girls, increases were seen among American Indian/Alaska Native or Asian/Pacific Islander preteens and also Hispanic preteens.
Suicide was the 11th leading cause of death in female preteens between 2001 and 2007 and became the fifth leading cause of death in that group between 2008 and 2022. Suicide has consistently been the fifth leading cause of death for male preteens across those time periods, the study said.
According to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, suicide is the No. 2 cause of death overall for children, teens and young adults ages 10 to 24. The lifeline offers a number of resources for those who are struggling and for their families.
In a news release, the researchers said that while fewer preteens than other populations take their own lives, the findings that the number increased from 482 in 2008 to 1,759 in 2022 “underscore the need for age-appropriate and culturally responsive prevention efforts that include suicide risk screening and lethal means safety counseling.” They also call out a need to understand, identify and help children who may be at risk for suicide.
For every suicide, there are significantly more nonfatal events.
“It’s surprising to see the growing trend in young people,” Lisa Horowitz, study co-author and director of Patient Safety and Quality for the National Institute of Mental Health Intramural Research Program, told Reuters.
“The best way to keep a young person from killing themselves is to ask them directly ... and then to really brace for that non- ‘no’ answer and get them some help,” she said.
Why children struggle
Researchers at the Ohio State University College of Medicine and Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, and the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis used the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System to look at suicides by sex, race, ethnicity, method and other demographic factors.
While the study looked at the numbers, it doesn’t explore the reasons for the rise in preteen suicides. Others not involved in the study told The Washington Post that technology, social media and guns are the likely “main culprits.”
While preteen females had a disproportionate increase in their suicide rate compared to preteen males, the highest overall suicide rate in that age group was Black children. The greatest percent increase was among Hispanic preteens. The report said that hanging and suffocation were the most common methods, but use of firearms was the most rapidly increasing.
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Among limitations of the study, the researchers noted the “potential misclassification of suicides as other causes of death.”
There are a number of risk factors, the crisis line reports, including mental disorders, substance use, impulsive or aggressive tendencies, a history of trauma or abuse, major illness, previous suicide attempts, family history, loss of relationship, local clusters of suicide and easy access to lethal means, among others.
A 2017 report on suicide-precipitating events published by the Child Welfare League of America noted four different categories among children ages 5 to 11 years:
- Mental health and suicide-related concerns
- Trauma or abuse
- Family-related problems
- School or peer-related problems
Helping someone who struggles
It was long believed that talking about suicide would put the idea in someone’s head. That’s been thoroughly debunked as simply not true. Not talking about suicide is harmful if someone is pondering it and creates stigma around seeking help.
Among the recommendations from the 988 crisis line:
- Believe someone who expresses thoughts of suicide and provide them with emotional and support.
- Never promise to keep suicidal thoughts a secret. “Tell him or her you can help, but you need to involve other people, like a trusted adult.”
- Learn warning signs, which can be subtle. These can include too much or too little sleep, anxiety and agitation, extreme mood swings, withdrawing or isolating and talking about suicide and wanting to kill oneself. If someone expresses hopelessness, take it seriously.
The American Academy of Pediatrics says there’s a lot that parents can do to prevent suicide, starting with paying attention to the child’s mental health. The article warns that parents should never dismiss what they’re seeing as just a child being dramatic. Respond with empathy and get help right away.
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It’s also important to remove potential tools that a child can use to harm himself or herself, from firearms to medication.
Perhaps most important is creating hope.
The academy breaks steps down for physicians and families both as ABCD: Assess risk. Build hope and reasons to live. Connect and strengthen relationships with protective adults. Develop a safety plan.
Anyone dealing with suicide ideation should call 988, a 24-hour mental health crisis line that provides confidential support. You can also chat online.
