Rise in Suicide by Black Children Surprises Researchers
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/19/health/suicide-rate-for-black-children-surged-in-2-decades-study-says.html
The suicide rate among black children has nearly doubled since the early 1990s, while the rate for white children has declined, a new study has found, an unusual pattern that seemed to suggest something troubling was happening among some of the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
Suicide among children ages 5 to 11, the age range the study measured, is rare, and researchers had to blend several years of data to get reliable results. The findings, which measured the period from 1993 to 2012, were so surprising that researchers waited for an additional year of data to check them. The trend did not change.
Suicide rates are almost always lower among blacks than among whites of any age. But the study, published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics on Monday, found that the rate had risen so steeply among black children — to 2.54 from 1.36 per one million children — that it was substantially above the rate among white children by the end of the period. The rate for white children fell to 0.77 per million from 1.14.
It was the first time a national study found a higher suicide rate for blacks than for whites of any age group, researchers noted.
Suicide Trends Among Elementary School–Aged Children in the United States From 1993 to 2012
▻https://archpedi.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=2293169#
"Conclusions and Relevance The stable overall suicide rate in school-aged children in the United States during 20 years of study obscured a significant increase in suicide incidence in black children and a significant decrease in suicide incidence among white children. Findings highlight a potential racial disparity that warrants attention. Further studies are needed to monitor these emerging trends and identify risk, protective, and precipitating
At a Glance factors relevant to suicide prevention efforts in children younger than 12 years.
• Between 1993 and 2012, a total of 657 children aged 5 to 11 years died by suicide in the United States, with 553 (84%) who were boys and 104 (16%) who were girls.
• Although there was no significant change in the overall suicide rate throughout the study period, there was a significant increase in the suicide rate among black children and a significant decline in the suicide rate among white children.
• Hanging/suffocation was the predominant method of suicide throughout the period. The rate of suicide by hanging/suffocation increased significantly in black boys, whereas the firearm suicide rate decreased significantly among white boys during the study.
• Further studies are needed to monitor these emerging trends and identify risk, protective, and precipitating factors relevant to suicide prevention efforts in children younger than 12 years.
▻https://amaprod.silverchaircdn.com/data/Journals/PEDS/0/poi150020t1.png?v=635667089328230000
Suicide Rates Among White and Black Boys Aged 5 to 11 Years in the United States Between 1993 to 1997 and 2008 to 2012
▻https://amaprod.silverchaircdn.com/data/Journals/PEDS/0/poi150020f1.png?v=635667089328300000
