Sep 15, 2007Quickie Link: Youth Suicide Rate Remains High
By vanrozenheim
(USA) - Suicides among young people ages 10 to 24 increased 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently reported. That jump represented the largest increase in 15 years. In the Gay community, youth suicide continues to be a persistent problem, experts say. Among Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender youth, as many as 40 percent are likely to attempt suicide, said Cassie Blume, youth programs coordinator for the Billy DeFrank LGBT Community Center in San Jose. The US-wide data is derived from several studies, Blume said. "They are three times more likely to attempt suicide" than straight young people, Blume said. "Our work can be just about keeping them alive."
