Youth Suicide: The Physician's Role in Suicide Prevention

The percentage of youth who visit health care professionals prior to their suicide has not been well documented, but it is generally believed that most young people have exhibited warning signs to family, friends, teachers, and physicians, suggesting that the clinician may have important opportunities to detect suicidal behavior and intervene appropriately to prevent these tragedies.

Abstract

One of the most difficult clinical problems facing the physician is the prediction and prevention of youth suicide. Since one goal of medicine is to avert untimely mortality, the death of a young person by suicide may be particularly devastating to the clinician, raising issues about whether and how the tragedy might have been prevented. Although the percentage of youth who visit health care professionals prior to their suicide has not been well documented, it is generally believed that most young people have exhibited warning signs to family, friends, teachers, and physicians, suggesting that the clinician may have important opportunities to detect suicidal behavior and intervene appropriately to prevent these tragedies. 1 Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people 15 to 24 years of age in the United States. 1 Completed suicide is rare in children but increases with each of the teenage years, reaching a