Suicide Prevention in Schools
Suicide is a leading cause of death in the United States, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating one death by suicide every 11 minutes. While suicide does not leave anyone untouched, certain populations are at a higher risk due to disproportionality experiencing factors linked to suicide including racism, oppression and discrimination.
Youth are at particularly high risk for suicide. In fact, the CDC reports that youth ages 10-24 account for 14% of all suicides. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for youth ages 10-14 and the third leading cause of death for all young people- resulting in approximately 6,643 deaths each year. These staggering statistics highlight that within the major public health crisis of suicide, youth are incredibly vulnerable. The data collected below shows just how widespread suicide is and how certain groups are at higher risk
Schools and school health partners have a responsibility to their community to provide comprehensive suicide prevention. This includes explaining how prevalent suicide is, discussing how suicide affects everyone, addressing the stigma associated with suicide, creating crisis plans for immediate risk of suicide, referring students to outside community and health partners when appropriate, and following up with continued support.
This month is suicide prevention month. But suicide prevention should be discussed and implemented year-round. To help support this effort, we have highlighted data and resources for suicide prevention programs that can be developed for the school setting.
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