Black Females Are Particularly at Risk in Rising Adolescent Suicide Rates

Background: It would be important to define more concretely the demographics at highest risk for the adolescent suicidal surge. This would help us focus preventive efforts and resources on the most vulnerable groups in their “priority data letter.” Objective: To determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among U.S. adolescents and to examine differences in these outcomes across racial and gender groups using data from 3 large, contemporary adolescent cohorts. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: Demographic data from 3 large cohorts were analyzed to examine racial and gender disparities in suicidal ideation and attempts during early to late adolescence. The authors noted a paucity of research, especially on black adolescents. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study assessed youths 9 to 15 years old annually from 2016 to 2022. The 2021 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) was conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on grades 9 th to 1 more...