Suicide Prevention

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2019), suicide among school age youth 10 years of age and older ranks as a leading cause of death. While student suicide is statistically rare (4.03 deaths for every 100,000 5-to-18-year-olds in the U.S.), suicidal thinking and non-fatal suicidal behavior is relatively common. Specifically, Kann et al. (2018) estimated that in 2017, among 9th to 12th grade U.S. students, 17% seriously considered suicide, 14% made a suicide plan, 7% attempted suicide, and just over 2% made a suicide attempt severe enough to require treatment from a doctor or nurse. Further, between 2007 and 2015 emergency room visits for suicidal ideation and behaviors more than doubled (Burstein, Agostino, & Greenfield, 2019).

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