CDC data shows suicide increasing for 10 to 24 age gap

The Centers for Disease Control released data showing suicide was the third leading cause of death in California for youth between the ages of 10 and 24.

The health agency said 10.1 percent of deaths—28—in California of children ages 10 through 14 in 2016, the most recent year available, were due to suicide. Nearly 15.5 percent of deaths—489—in California for youth ages 15 through 24 in the same time period were attributed to suicide.

The Jason Foundation, a youth suicide prevention organization, said Friday that warning signs of suicide include: talking about suicide, a deepening depression, a preoccupation with death, giving prized possessions away and making statements about feeling worthless, hopeless or helpless. The foundation said four out of five teens who attempt suicide give warning signs prior to their attempt.

Santa Clarita Valley Suicide Prevention, Postvention and Wellness Committee Chairman Larry Schallert, assistant director of Student Health and Wellness/ Mental Health at College of the Canyons, said Thursday the college especially braces for cases of suicide in the fall semester when students worry during midterms.

“They don’t know if they’re going to make it, they might not make it,” Schallert said of students. “There’s stress and pressure. June is impossibly far away.”

Schallert described a scenario where a student is taking on five classes and subjected to verbal sparring matches with parents at home as an example of the level of stress some students are under when contemplating suicide.

“That’s the biggest stress time, so we’ve dumped a lot of resources into suicide prevention in late September, early October,” he said.

The committee has worked to decrease the number of people who end their lives over the past five years by providing tools for those with mental illnesses and equip people with the knowledge to help recognize warning signs.

For those considering suicide, call the 24-hour prevention lifeline at 1-800273-8255. Anyone with concerns about their mental health can also text 741741 and then type in a request for help, and someone will call them back right away, said Schallert. There’s also the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention on how to survive suicide loss, Schallert said.