Youth Suicide: Environmental Risk Factors

Abstract

P-455 Introduction and Objective: Suicide among youths is a major tragic public health problem and potentially preventable mortality. Suicide is the thirteenth leading cause of death worldwide and eleventh leading cause of death in the United States. Youth suicide imposes a significant impact on society in terms of years of potential life lost. The objective of this paper is to study youth (15–24 years) suicide rates by race, gender, trend, environmental factors and methods used to commit suicide in New Jersey’s 21 counties, USA. Methods: Suicide data were obtained from New Jersey death certificate files, 1989–1997. New Jersey’21 counties population, population density, urbanization index, per capita income and education were obtained from census data. Results: Age specific suicide rates in 19 of 21 New Jersey counties were higher among young adults (20–24 years) than adolescents (15–19 years). Age specific suicide rate decreased from 1989 to 1997. However, adolescent girls’ suicide rate increased by 200% during this period. Young adult men suicide rate was 273% higher than adolescent boys. However, adolescent girls’ suicide rate was 212% higher than young adult women. Statistically significant gender disparity was existed that young adult men’s suicide rate was 8 times higher than young adult women. Youth suicide rates correlated with high urbanization index and with low level of education in New Jersey’21 counties. Forty percent of youth suicides were committed by firearms and explosives and 26% by suffocation (mostly hanging). Discussion and Conclusion: Significant gender disparities existed that young adult men’s suicide rates was 8 times higher than women. Age specific suicide rates declined, except for adolescent girls, which increased 200% from 1989 to 1997. If the existing trend of suicide victimization continues in New Jersey, adolescent girls will soon become the second leading segment of the youth population to commit suicide in New Jersey. Forty percent of youth suicides were committed by firearms and explosives. Correlation analyses suggested that low levels of education and high levels of urbanization index of New Jersey’21 counties provided environmental risk factors for committing suicide.