Suicides among 10- to 19-year-olds in 2005 remained well above expected levels for a second straight year, researchers here said. From 1996 to 2003, teen suicide rates underwent a steady decline, but in 2004, the overall rate suddenly increased 18 percent from the previous year.
Researchers believe that the decline in the rate in stems from the Food and Drug Administration's 2004 black-box warning label because of reports that the drugs can increase risks for suicidal tendencies.
The predicted rate of teen suicide for that year was 3.8 deaths per 100,000 young people; the actual rate was 4.49 deaths per 100,000, a statistically significant difference.
The new research, based on 1996-2005 national data, appears in Wednesday's Journal of the American Medical Association. In 2004, the suicide rate for those under 20-years-old spiked 18 percent.
The next year it dropped a bit, but the numbers were still high. The study compared older and younger teens, boys and girls, and found no difference. All groups are equally at risk.
