Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
SALT LAKE CITY — New data has been released detailing the dangers of suicide among teens in Utah. In some ways the numbers are good, but in other ways they're concerning.
As part of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Report, teens were asked if they'd contemplated suicide in the last year, if they've planned it during that time and if they had attempted suicide in the previous year.
2009: 15.3%
On the positive side, the number of teens who have seriously contemplated suicide has dipped slightly. Jenny Johnson with the Violence and Injury Prevention Program said, "We have about 14.2 percent of high school students that report they've seriously contemplated suicide."
That's compared to 15.3 percent from 2009. Johnson says Utah's rates are comparable to the rest of the country. But other numbers are not as encouraging.
HOPE Task Force resources
- Education for community and groups: Presentations that increase education, awareness and provide prevention information. Call 374-4802 for more information
- Survivor group: Group meets monthly. visit groups.msn.com/heartandsoulsuicidesurvivors.
Crisis Hotlines
- UNI Crisis Line: 801-587-3000
- National Suicide Prevention LifeLine: 1-800-273-TALK
- Utah County Crisis Line: 801-226-4433
- Wasatch Mental Health Crisis Line: 801-373-7393
- National Crisis Line: 1-800-784-2433
- Trevor Project Hotline for LGBTQ teens: 1-866-488-7386
Online resources
- NAMI Utah: namiut.org
- Salt Lake Mental Health: saltlakementalhealth.com
- Utah Chapter-American Foundation for Suicide Prevention: afsputah.com
"(The number of teens) who have formulated a suicide plan has actually increased since 2009 across the country, and there's no statistically significant difference between Utah and the U.S.," she said.
In 2010, 541 teens between the ages of 15 and 19 went to the emergency room after attempting suicide in Utah. More than 180 of them needed hospitalization. Sadly, 25 Utah people between the ages of 15 and 19 succeeded in killing themselves.
Johnson says these studies don't always show the real problem. She says many teens who commit suicide do it over a one-time problem, like breaking up with a loved one.
"A lot of kids are just impulsively acting and crying out for help," she said.
Plus, girls are more prone to attempt suicide but boys are more likely to succeed at it because of how they do it.
"Females are more likely to use a substance or poison themselves, but males often use firearms," Johnson said. She says there are two hotlines people can call when they need help. There is the UNI Crisis Line at 801-587-3000, or the National Suicide Prevention LifeLine at 1-800-273-TALK.
