It’s suicide prevention week. Does your school have a comprehensive, multi-tiered system in place for suicide prevention?
Youth Suicide Statistics
- Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for ages 10-24. (2017 CDC WISQARS)
- Suicide is the SECOND leading cause of death for college-age youth and ages 12-18. (2017 CDC WISQARS)
- More teenagers and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza, and chronic lung disease, COMBINED.
- Each day in our nation, there are an average of over 3,041 attempts by young people grades 9-12. If these percentages are additionally applied to grades 7 & 8, the numbers would be higher.
- Four out of Five teens who attempt suicide have given clear warning signs.
For guidance on developing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) for Suicide Prevention, view an excerpt from the laminated guide Multi-Tiered Systems of Support: A Flowchart for MTSS, RTI, SWPBS, Social-Emotional RTI, and Suicide Prevention & Intervention by Gary Schaffer.