Suicide Trends Among Elementary School–Aged Children in the United States From 1993 to 2012
Open accessAbstract
IMPORTANCE: Suicide is a leading cause of death among school-aged children younger than 12 years but little is known about the epidemiology of suicide in this age group. OBJECTIVE: To describe trends in suicide among US children younger than 12 years by sociodemographic group and method of death. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: Period trend analysis of national mortality data on suicide in children aged 5 to 11 years in the United States from January 1, 1993, to December 31, 2012. Data were analyzed per 5-year periods, between 1993 to 1997 and 2008 to 2012. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: Number of suicide deaths and crude suicide rates. Period trends in rates of suicide were estimated using negative binomial regression incidence rate ratios (IRRs). RESULTS: The overall suicide rate among children aged 5 to 11 years remained stable between 1993 to 1997 and 2008 to 2012 (from 1.18 to 1.09 per 1 million; IRR = 0.96; 95% CI, 0.90-1.03). However, the suicide rate increased significantly in black children (from 1.36 to 2.54 per 1 million; IRR = 1.27; 95% CI, 1.11-1.45) and decreased in white children (from 1.14 to 0.77 per 1 million; IRR = 0.86; 95% CI, 0.79-0.94). The overall firearm suicide rate (IRR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.57-0.85) and firearm suicide rate among white boys (IRR = 0.72; 95% CI, 0.59-0.88) decreased significantly during the study. The rate of suicide by hanging/suffocation increased significantly in black boys (IRR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.14-1.61), although the overall change in suicide rates by hanging/suffocation or other suicide methods did not change during the study. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: The stable overall suicide rate in school-aged children in the United States during 20 years of study obscured a significant increase in suicide incidence in black children and a significant decrease in suicide incidence among white children. Findings highlight a potential racial disparity that warrants attention. Further studies are needed to monitor these emerging trends and identify risk, protective, and precipitating factors relevant to suicide prevention efforts in children younger than 12 years.
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An analysis of suicide trends from 1993 to 2012 found that rates remained constant overall in children aged 5-11 years, yet increased significantly in black children, while decreasing in white children; small sample sizes did not allow conclusions for American Indian/Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander children.
“An analysis of suicide trends from 1993 to 2012 found that rates remained constant overall in children aged 5-11 years, yet increased significantly in black children, while decreasing in white children; small sample sizes did not allow conclusions for American Indian/ Alaska Native and Asian/Pacific Islander children.”
From Suicide in young people: screening, risk assessment, and intervention (2023) · cites this paper as [17]
Between 1993 and 2012, among children aged 5 to 11 years, the overall suicide rate for this age group was stable.
“between 1993 and 2012, among children aged 5 to 11 years, the overall suicide rate for this age group was stable”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [7]
Between 1993 and 2012, among children aged 5 to 11 years, the suicide rate almost doubled for blacks.
“it had almost doubled for blacks [7]”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [7]
Between 1993 and 2012, among children aged 5 to 11 years, the suicide rate declined for whites.
“while the rate had declined for whites”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [7]
Between 1993 and 2012, among children aged 5 to 11 years, the suicide rate was stable for Hispanics and other racial groups.
“was stable for Hispanics and other racial groups”
From Reducing Racial Inequities in Health: Using What We Already Know to Take Action (2019) · cites this paper as [7]
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- Authors
- Bridge, J. A., Asti, L., Horowitz, L. M., Greenhouse, J. B., Fontanella, C. A., Sheftall, A. H., Kelleher, K. J., & Campo, J. V.
- Affiliations
- Nationwide Children's Hospital (US)
- National Institutes of Health (US)
- Carnegie Mellon University (US)
- The Ohio State University (US)
- Corresponding author
- Bridge, Jeffrey A.
- ORCID
- Venue
- JAMA Pediatrics
- Publisher
- American Medical Association (AMA)
- Published
- 2015-07-01
- Volume
- 169
- Issue
- 7
- Pages
- 673
- ISSN
- 1072-4710 (ISSN-L)
- 2168-6203
- OpenAlex
- W2122410491
- Semantic Scholar
- fedc2fc3ec0f9fd17b27a529a58607e469df983f
- Cited by
- 303
- References
- 32
- Citations by year
- 2026: 19 · 2025: 40 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 37 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 27 · 2019: 25 · 2018: 23 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 18 · 2015: 2
- FWCI
- 24.80
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Locations
- Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (R01CE002129)
- National Institute of Mental Health (R01MH093552)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Suicide and Self-Harm Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Injury Epidemiology and Prevention
- Keywords
- child suicide, suicide trends, elementary school students, suicide rates, firearm suicide, racial disparities, Black children, sociodemographic disparities, suicide methods, child mortality, sex differences in suicide, age differences in suicide, suicide prevention, suicide prevention programs, suicide prevention policy, suicide prevention research funding, suicide prevention training
- MeSH terms
- Child, Child, Preschool, Female, Humans, Male, Schools, Suicide, United States, Incidence
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