Citation

Brener ND, Krug EG, Simon TR. Suicide Life Threat. Behav. 2000; 30(4): 304-312.

Affiliation

Division of Adolescent and School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia 30341, USA. nad1@cdc.gov

Copyright

(Copyright © 2000, American Association of Suicidology, Publisher John Wiley and Sons)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

11210056

Abstract

To examine trends in suicide ideation and behavior over time, the authors analyze data from nationally representative samples of between 10,904 and 16,296 students participating in the 1991, 1993, 1995, and 1997 Youth Risk Behavior Surveys. These data describe the proportion of United States students in grades 9 through 12 that reported having (1) seriously considered attempting suicide, (2) made a plan to attempt suicide, (3) attempted suicide, and (4) made an injurious suicide attempt. From 1991 to 1997, the percentage of students seriously considering suicide and the percentage that made a suicide plan showed significant linear decreases. However, the percentage of students that made an injurious suicide attempt showed a significant linear increase. These trends make it unlikely that relevant national health objectives for the year 2000 will be met. Additional efforts are needed to identify and disseminate strategies that effectively reduce suicidal thoughts and behaviors among adolescents.