900,000 Youths Planned Suicides During Depression Episodes
PRNewswire - September 13, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) on Friday released data showing that approximately 900,000 youth had made a plan to commit suicide during their worst or most recent episode of major depression, and 712,000 attempted suicide during such an episode of depression. The new data contained in a special report on youth ages 12-17 were announced today by SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie at the Suicide Prevention Action Network USA?s (SPAN USA) 10th Anniversary National Awareness Event in Arlington, Va.
The data are extracted from the 2004 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, which asked youth ages 12-17 about symptoms of depression, including thoughts about death or suicide. The report defines major depressive episode as a period of at least two weeks in which a person experienced a depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure in daily activities and had at least five of the nine symptoms of depression described in the psychiatrists? Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders -Fourth Edition (DSM-IV).
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Curie also announced a new effort to reach out to the media to promote the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1- 800-273-TALK. The Lifeline and its website
http://www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/, launched last December, link to a network of local crisis centers located in communities across the country that are committed to suicide prevention. Callers to the hotline will receive suicide prevention counseling from trained staff at the closest certified crisis center in the network. The new materials available on the web will assist local crisis centers in their efforts to reach out to the media to raise awareness about suicide and the national hotline.
SAMHSA Administrator Charles Curie said, "Suicide is a preventable tragedy. It is a thief that sets no boundaries and seeks victims of all ages; from all racial, religious, ethnic and multi-ethnic groups; across all socio- economic divides; and within urban and rural communities nationwide. As part of our strategy to prevent suicide, President Bush signed into law the Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act for youth suicide prevention programs, and as a result, very soon SAMHSA will be awarding grants to several communities to strengthen our prevention efforts."
Curie added, "In response to Katrina, SAMHSA has activated its disaster response plan for the Lifeline to ensure all calls are answered. In addition, information on the Lifeline is being distributed in the impacted areas through established national, state and local networks to help make the number widely available and accessible to those in need."
The special report, "Suicidal Thoughts among Youths Aged 12-17 with Major Depressive Episode" found that over 7 percent of youth ages 12-17, 1.8 million youth, had thought about killing themselves during their worst or most recent episode of major depression.
The data show that about 3.5 million youth ages 12-17, 14 percent, had experienced at least one episode of major depression in their lifetimes. Almost 20 percent of females in this age group and 8.5 percent of males had at least one of these depressive episodes. Rates of major depressive episodes in their lifetimes were similar among racial and ethnic groups and increased with age.
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health is an annual survey of close to 70,000 people. The survey collects information from residents of households, residents of non-institutionalized group quarters and civilians living on military bases.
The 2004 survey included responses from 22,301 youth ages 12 to 17 of whom 3,179 were classified as having a major depressive episode in their lifetimes.
