Despite the hysteria a year ago about a one-year spike in teenage suicide rates, new data show what many were previously cautioning about — drawing broad conclusions from a single datapoint:
The new research, based on 1996-2005 national data, appears in Wednesday’s Journal of the American Medical Association. It shows the rate dropped by about 5 percent […] from 1,983 suicides in 2004 to 1,883 in 2005.
You’d think everyone would be happy with such a drop, but no, people commenting on the study in the article continue to express caution, despite the decline.
Also not surprising is the lack of anyone drawing any type of causal relationships in the article tied to the suicide rate decline. When things go badly, everyone looks to point fingers at a cause. When things go well, everyone just assumes that whatever we’re doing must be working.
Well, we’re happy and we’re not particularly worried. We’re happy that fewer teens died that year due to a self-inflicted and senseless death. And we’re happy that nobody is making broad statements about causality of this decline which are not supported by the data.
Read the full article: Teen suicides dip, experts worry rate remains high
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6 Responses to “Teen Suicide Rates Decline” (Pingbacks/trackbacks not shown below)
Kit Falcione at 10:12 am on
September 3rd, 2008
Check out Dr. John Cacioppo and William Patrick’s book “Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection”. Are we more connected today: internet, text messaging, email?
They define an unrecognized syndrome—chronic loneliness—brings it out of the shadow of its cousin depression, and shows how this subjective sense of social isolation uniquely disrupts our perceptions, behavior, and physiology, becoming a trap that not only reinforces isolation but can also lead to early death. He gives the lie to the Hobbesian view of human nature as a “war of all against all,” and he shows how social cooperation is, in fact, humanity’s defining characteristic. Most important, he shows how we can break the trap of isolation for our benefit both as individuals and as a society.
By employing brain scans, monitoring blood pressure, and analyzing immune function, he demonstrates the overpowering influence of social context—a factor so strong that it can alter DNA replication.
Read Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. ISBN: 978-0-393-06170-3.
Jaren at 4:23 pm on
September 3rd, 2008
So it’s on a decline from 2004 to 2005? It’ll be interesting to see what the rates are going to be like after 2005.
Found this: http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/mental-health/youth-suicides-upward-trend-1703.html
“Youth Suicides on an Upward Trend”
The article mentions the 2004 to 2005 difference but the title says otherwise.
kuros at 4:32 pm on
September 3rd, 2008
certainly good news but what of the rate of suicide among gay and lesbian teens?
TheLastPsychiatrist at 11:06 pm on
September 3rd, 2008
Hmm. I’m not sure it declined OR increased.
http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2007/09/youth_suicide_rates_up_not_so.html
thebluecollarman at 7:02 am on
October 8th, 2008
Hmm. I’m not shure why this info is not reason to celebrate with a media explosion. Or would that hurt the prescription drug industry and its affiliates….Hmm.Yes thats right, I care. walgreen.
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Check out Dr. John Cacioppo and William Patrick’s book “Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection”. Are we more connected today: internet, text messaging, email?
They define an unrecognized syndrome—chronic loneliness—brings it out of the shadow of its cousin depression, and shows how this subjective sense of social isolation uniquely disrupts our perceptions, behavior, and physiology, becoming a trap that not only reinforces isolation but can also lead to early death. He gives the lie to the Hobbesian view of human nature as a “war of all against all,” and he shows how social cooperation is, in fact, humanity’s defining characteristic. Most important, he shows how we can break the trap of isolation for our benefit both as individuals and as a society.
By employing brain scans, monitoring blood pressure, and analyzing immune function, he demonstrates the overpowering influence of social context—a factor so strong that it can alter DNA replication.
Read Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection. ISBN: 978-0-393-06170-3.
So it’s on a decline from 2004 to 2005? It’ll be interesting to see what the rates are going to be like after 2005.
Found this: http://www.healthnews.com/family-health/mental-health/youth-suicides-upward-trend-1703.html
“Youth Suicides on an Upward Trend”
The article mentions the 2004 to 2005 difference but the title says otherwise.
certainly good news but what of the rate of suicide among gay and lesbian teens?
Hmm. I’m not sure it declined OR increased.
http://thelastpsychiatrist.com/2007/09/youth_suicide_rates_up_not_so.html
Hmm. I’m not shure why this info is not reason to celebrate with a media explosion. Or would that hurt the prescription drug industry and its affiliates….Hmm.Yes thats right, I care. walgreen.
