Most U.S. youth who die by suicide don't have mental health diagnosis

Three out of five young people who die by suicide don't have any prior mental health diagnosis, a new study finds.

People are missing the telltale signs that children, teens and young adults are troubled in ways that put them at risk for suicide, researchers said.

"Our findings point to the critical need to increase equitable access to mental health screening, diagnosis and treatment for all youth," said researcher Dr. Jennifer Hoffman , an emergency medicine physician with the Children's Hospital of Chicago.

The results also emphasize the need for safe gun storage, given how impulsive young people can be.

There had been no signs of mental troubles in 2 of 3 suicides involving a gun, the most common method among young people in this study, researchers found.

An estimated 22.6 million U.S. children live in households with firearms, and 4.5 million live in homes where guns are put away loaded in unlocked drawers and cabinets, researchers said.

"To reduce the risk of youth suicide by firearms, counseling is needed to encourage parents to store firearms in the home safely. These messages should be delivered in community and school settings, in addition to doctors' offices," Hoffmann said in a hospital news release.

"Secure storage laws, also known as child-access prevention laws, have also been demonstrated to reduce firearm suicide rates, and more states need to enact this type of lifesaving legislation," Hoffmann added.

For the study, published Tuesday in the journal JAMA Network Open, researchers analyzed data on more than 40,000 suicides by youth ages 10 to 24 between 2010 and 2021. The data was gathered by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Males, children younger than 14 and young people from minority or ethnic groups were most likely to commit suicide without any prior mental health diagnosis, results show.

To help prevent suicide, parents should touch base with their kids frequently about potential worries or distressing events, Hoffmann said.

"Stressful life circumstances can be risk factors for youth suicide, even in the absence of a mental health diagnosis," Hoffmann said. "It is also important to bring preteens and teens in for a wellness check every year, so their pediatrician can screen for mental health issues."

If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, expert, confidential advice is available 24/7 at the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline .

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about suicide prevention .

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