---
title: "Psych News Alert: CDC Examines Teen Suicides"
description: When the number of suicides among adolescents and young adults in two counties in southern Delaware spiked, health authorities called in exp...
image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/TeenSuicide_84145786-Jun-24-2025-06-11-09-2472-PM.jpg
---

 8/15/12 12:00 AM

# CDC Examines Teen Suicides

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert)

Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/cdc-examines-teen-suicides.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/cdc-examines-teen-suicides.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/cdc-examines-teen-suicides.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/cdc-examines-teen-suicides.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/cdc-examines-teen-suicides.html)

| ![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/TeenSuicide_84145786-Jun-24-2025-06-11-10-2750-PM.jpg?width=130&name=TeenSuicide_84145786-Jun-24-2025-06-11-10-2750-PM.jpg) |  |
| --- | --- |

When the number of suicides among adolescents and young adults in two counties in southern Delaware spiked, health authorities called in experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Eleven young people died by suicide between January and May 2012, compared with the previous yearly average of four. The most common means of death were hanging, followed by self-inflicted gunshot wound, consistent with national patterns, wrote Katherine Fowler, Ph.D., in the CDC report on the investigation.

Risk factors for these suicides included mental health problems (7); recent problem between decedent and parent(s) (5); legal problems (5); problems with boyfriend or girlfriend (4); substance use (4); academic problems (3); left a note, called someone, or texted about suicide (3); recent problem with peers (2); or the decedent was a sexual minority (2).

Every case had at least two of these risk factors, and more than half had at least five. The CDC recommended periodic mental health awareness training to identify youth at risk, expanded community and educational programs for young people, and a review of evidence-based suicide prevention strategies aimed at youth.

Read more risk factors linked to adolescent suicide in *Psychiatric News* [here](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=180882).

(Image: T. Anderson/Shutterstock.com)

[teen suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/teen-suicide), [risk factor](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/risk-factor)

## Related posts

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/teenagers_iStock-826221008-Jun-24-2025-05-18-46-2377-PM.jpg?height=200&name=teenagers_iStock-826221008-Jun-24-2025-05-18-46-2377-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/03/bullying-found-to-raise-risk-for.html)

[suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [suicide prevention](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide-prevention), [adolescents](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/adolescents), [self-harm](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/self-harm), [bullying](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/bullying), [suicide attempt](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide-attempt), [JAACAP](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jaacap), [Ai Koyanagi](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ai-koyanagi)

## [Bullying Found to Raise Risk for Adolescent Suicide Attempts Worldwide](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/03/bullying-found-to-raise-risk-for.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 3/28/19 12:00 AM

Bullying is a major risk factor for adolescent suicide attempts globally; thus, there is an urgent...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2019/03/bullying-found-to-raise-risk-for.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/older-patient-iStock-625049826-Jun-24-2025-07-21-33-6287-PM.jpg?height=200&name=older-patient-iStock-625049826-Jun-24-2025-07-21-33-6287-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2021/08/older-adults-less-likely-than-younger.html)

[suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [pain](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/pain), [depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression), [anxiety](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/anxiety), [substance use disorders](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/substance-use-disorders), [American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/american-journal-of-geriatric-psychiatry), [older adults](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/older-adults)

## [Older Adults Less Likely Than Younger to Report Psychiatric Symptoms After Suicide Attempt](https://alert.psychnews.org/2021/08/older-adults-less-likely-than-younger.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 8/10/21 12:00 AM

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2021/08/older-adults-less-likely-than-younger.html)

[![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/hospital_iStock-542689506-Jun-24-2025-10-38-27-7898-PM.jpg?height=200&name=hospital_iStock-542689506-Jun-24-2025-10-38-27-7898-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/06/irregular-hospital-discharge-in-va.html)

[suicide](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/suicide), [VA](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/va), [Psychiatric Services in Advance](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/psychiatric-services-in-advance), [Natalie Riblet](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/natalie-riblet), [hospital discharge](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/hospital-discharge), [Veterans Affairs](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/veterans-affairs)

## [Irregular Hospital Discharge in VA Facilities May Increase Suicide Risk](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/06/irregular-hospital-discharge-in-va.html)

![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 

 6/1/18 12:00 AM

Patients who leave the hospital against medical advice and/or self-initiate discharge may be at a...

[ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2018/06/irregular-hospital-discharge-in-va.html)

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Psychiatric News Alert",
    "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2025-06-24T18:13:30.470Z",
  "datePublished" : "2012-08-15T04:00:00.000Z",
  "headline" : "Psych News Alert: CDC Examines Teen Suicides",
  "image" : [ "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/TeenSuicide_84145786-Jun-24-2025-06-11-09-2472-PM.jpg" ],
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/2012/08/cdc-examines-teen-suicides.html",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/PN-Blue-Box.jpg"
    }
  }
}
```