Teen suicide statistics show deaths increased in tandem with social-media launches; rates higher in rural areas

Teen suicide can be a "tip-toe around it" discussion topic, but dire statistics are overcoming the stigma.

The CDC's latest Youth Risk Behavior Survey found that "The number of male students who said they had considered, planned or attempted suicide was stable between 2019 and 2021 [but] female students reported a sharp increase in all three, with 30 percent having seriously considered suicide in the last year, 24 percent having made a suicide plan, and 13.3 percent having attempted suicide," Politico reports.

Other new statistics tell a loud story about increased deaths combined with social media's influence -- and the loss of rural young men, related to firearm access. "In the United States, suicide has become the second leading cause of premature death among those ages 10 to 24; it is the leading cause of death among teens ages 13 to 14," Florida Atlantic University reports on recent research. "In the U.S. suicide has become the second leading cause of premature death among those ages 10 to 24; it is the leading cause of death among teens ages 13 to 14."

Researchers looked at U.S. suicide trends in 13- and 14 year-olds from 1999 to 2018 as well as isolating sex, race, level of urbanization, census region, month of the year and day of the week. The rural results were startling. Dr. Charles H. Hennekens, a study co-author, said, "Our data show that non-metropolitan areas have higher rates of teen suicide, regardless of method, and rural areas have higher rates due to firearms. . . . During the years immediately preceding the onset of increases in rates of suicide among 13 and 14 year olds, several prominent social media platforms used by teens, including Reddit, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Myspace and Tumblr were launched."

Study results showed that suicide rates among 13- and 14-year-olds "more than doubled from 2008 to 2018, following a rise in social media and despite significant declines in suicide mortality in this age group previously from 1999 to 2007. These trends were similar in urban and rural areas but were more common in boys in rural areas where firearms are more prevalent," the university reports. "In rural areas, firearms were used in 46.7 percent of suicides in boys and 34.7 percent in metropolitan areas. Suicides occurred significantly more often between September and May and were highest on Monday followed by the rest of the weekdays, suggesting school stress as a contributor. These statistically significant increasing trends were similar by sex, race, urbanization and census regions."

Dr. Sarah K. Wood, the study's senior author, said the data show correlations "with social media, school stress, and firearms, which require further research. In the meanwhile, there are clinical and public health initiatives for those at highest risks." The study results were released online, ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Annals of Pediatrics and Child Health.