Beech Tree News Network

According to Butler County Corner, Gerald "Marty" Jones II, November is Suicide Prevention Month. Suicide is a serious public health problem that affects even young people. For youth between the ages of 10 and 24, suicide is the third leading cause of death.  According to CDC, it results in approximately 4600 lives lost each year.   The top three methods used in suicides of young people include firearm (45%), suffocation (40%), and poisoning (8%).  Suicide affects all youth, but some groups are at higher risk than others.  Boys are more likely than girls to die from suicide.  Of the reported suicides in the 10 to 24 age group, 81% of the deaths were males and 19% were females.  Girls, however, are more likely to report attempting suicide than boys.  Cultural variations in suicide rates also exist, with Native American /Alaskan native youth having the highest rates of suicide-related fatalities.  A nationwide survey of youth in grades 9-12 in public and private schools in the U.S. found Hispanic youth were more likely to report attempting suicide than their black and white, non-Hispanic peers.  Kentucky  has one of the highest suicide rates in the nation among children and adults.