Teen Suicide
Summary
What is teen suicide?
Suicide is when a teen causes his or her own death on purpose. Before attempting to take his or her own life, a teen may have thoughts of wanting to die. This is called suicidal ideation. He or she may also have suicidal behavior. That’s when a teen is focused on doing things that cause his or her own death.
Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people ages 15 to 24. The CDC reports that:
- Boys are 4 times more likely to die from suicide than girls.
- Girls are more likely to attempt suicide than boys.
- Guns are used in more than half of youth suicides.
Source: Johns Hopkins Medicine. (n.d.). Teen suicide: What parents need to know.