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American teen suicide rate surged sharply in last several years – CDC

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Washington, Jun 16 (Prensa Latina) Homicide and suicide rates among groups of young Americans have risen sharply in the last few years, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows, shining a light on the state of mental health and violence in the U.S.

The study, which was published by the CDC on Thursday, gathered data over a 20-year period, from 2001 to 2021, on young Americans ages 10 to 24.

The report found a general upward trend in suicide and homicide rates in this age group, which were the second and third leading causes of death, respectively, in 2021.

In 2021, suicide was the second leading cause of death for Americans ages 10 to 24, the CDC said. The age group experienced a 62% increase in its suicide rate from 2007 to 2021. It rose from 6.8 deaths per 100,000 people in 2007, to 11 deaths per 100,000 in 2021.

The most significant increase in suicide rates was seen in those ages 20 to 24. Young adults saw their largest annual jump in suicide from 2020 to 2021, from 17.8 to 19.4 deaths per 100,000 people, and surpassing the homicide rate for that group.

While homicides among this group decreased from 2006 to 2014, they increased by 60% from 2014 to 2021. The largest annual jump in the homicide rate occurred between 2019 and 2020.

About 54% of gun-related deaths in 2021 were suicides, while 43% in the same year were homicides, according to data from the Pew Research Center.

Mental health care should be a priority for young Americans. In many cases, emergency rooms and hospitals are not equipped to care for people going through mental distress.

Fountain House, a national mental health nonprofit, has clubhouses across the nation which open its doors to anyone dealing with mental illness.

“We have a pandemic of loneliness, of isolation, and as a result of that, we’re seeing a decaying of many of the ways in which all of us get support,” Fountain House CEO Ken Zimmerman told CBS News Thursday. “There are solutions hiding in plain sight…Community is a therapeutic intervention.”

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