S. Oregon county sees spike in teen suicides
Saturday, November 21, 2009 9:32 PM PST
MEDFORD (AP) — Jackson County officials say they don’t know whether a two-year spike in teen suicide represents a trend or an anomaly. Either way, it’s worrisome.
Five teenagers killed themselves in 2008 and four have done so this year, including three middle-school students. The southern Oregon county had only 18 teen suicides between 1990 and 2006, so the upswing has drawn notice.
It’s hard to say what the increase means because there are many factors involved, said Gretchen Ericson, Jackson County’s youth suicide prevention coordinator. ‘‘It might be we’re seeing an increase in stressors across the board,’’ she said. ‘‘Things like more stress in families, more unemployment.’’
A 2007 survey of more than 600 Oregon youths who attempted suicide but survived found that family conflicts were a major reason, as were problems in school, trouble with the law and the breakup of romantic relationships.
Ericson said ‘‘contagion’’ — knowing someone who has chosen or attempted suicide — increases the risk, too. ‘‘When you lose someone to suicide, you’re eight times more likely to die by suicide yourself,’’ she said. She noted that two of the youths who took their own lives this year were close friends.
Statistics from the state’s Adolescent Suicide Attempt Data System report show girls accounted for nearly three-fourths of all youth suicide attempts.
