Suicide Rates on the Rise Among Teens

Ivanhoe Newswire
Thursday, September 4, 2008; 4:15 AM

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A crisis may be emerging among teenagers in the United States. Teen suicide rates are on the rise and it has doctors and parents looking for answers to why this troubling phenomenon is occurring.

A new study shows in just one year, between 2004 and 2005, suicide rates spiked, ending a decade-long steady decline. Experts say one reason for the increase in suicide may be the prescription of antidepressant medication. The number of kids prescribed anti-depressants has decreased by as much as 20 percent due to concern about side effects.

"The vast majority of young people who complete suicide have some sort of psychiatric disorder; most commonly depression or some mood disorder," John Campo, M.D., of the Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, was quoted as saying. While no link has been proven between an increase in suicide and drop in prescriptions, researchers want to further examine it. Another concern: the Internet and how it may be contributing to the spike in teen suicide.
 
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2008;300(9):1025-1026.

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