Governor of New York State's Final Report From the Youth Suicide Prevention Council: Some Frontiers for Public Health Consideration of Etiological Research and Prevention of Intentional Injuries

• NCJ Number: 158502
• Author(s): L Fisher
• Date Published: 1987
• Length: 18 pages
• Corporate Author: New York State Dept of Health
• Sale Source: New York State Dept of Health
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Paper presented to the American Public Health Association, New Orleans, La., October 18-22, 1987

Annotation

This paper summarizes the study of the nature and extent of suicide among high-risk groups of youth and suggests areas for further research; the study was published as the New York Governor's Report on Youth Suicide.

Abstract

The discussion notes that the increase in the youth suicide rate in New York closely parallels the increase in the national trend. Suicides are the second leading cause of death in all but five counties and New York City. Although information for identifying individual at-risk teenagers and preventing teenage suicide is not available, high-risk groups can include those who are clinically depressed; have a family history of suicide attempts; or have been in trouble due to impulsivity, learning difficulties, and aggressive outbursts. Other risk factors are the use of excessive amounts of alcohol or drugs and prior suicide attempts. The discussion covers the need for psychosocial, biochemical, and epidemological studies; the increasing evidence for developing reliable biological screening to determine biochemical markers of suicide; the effective versus causative role of alcohol; and the implications related to the involvement of firearms and the possible use of automobiles in suicide. Figures and maps