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As Suicide Increases in Preteens, Investigators Expand Research into Causes and Prevention

As Suicide Increases in Preteens, Investigators Expand Research into Causes and Prevention 1024 576 Katie Brind'Amour, PhD, MS, CHES

By tracking trends in suicide over time, researchers identify critical new directions for suicide prevention work.

Last year, a study published in JAMA Network Open by researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and collaborating institutions reported that suicide among preteens (children ages 8-12) had increased 8.2% annually from 2008 to 2022.

“This has become a critical age group to focus on, because we don’t know much about suicide in preteens,” says Donna Ruch, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research in the Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s and lead author on the article. “We know the demographic trends now, but we have to figure out what unique risk factors are driving the increase in rates in younger youth, and what we can do to prevent suicidal behaviors.”

The research team has broadened their efforts for this age group, examining trends in firearm-associated preteen suicides in a recent publication in JAACAP Open, which found that preteens who died by firearm suicide were more likely than teens to be female and Black. They were also less likely than teens to have a diagnosed mental health problem, but more likely to have problems with their family and school.

“We had observed an increase in suicide rates by firearm among females, which precipitated this deeper dive,” says Dr. Ruch. “We know females attempt suicide more often than males, so if access to and use of lethal means like firearms is increasing in that group, that’s highly concerning.”

This is especially true in light of the general lack of prevention resources available for such a young age group.

“A lot of our tools for suicide prevention, including screening tools, have not been validated for younger children, so adaptation of these resources is part of what we have to unpack as we shift to address a younger population,” says Dr. Ruch, whose colleagues at the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research already have these efforts underway.

A widespread school-based prevention program called SOS Signs of Suicide® is now being tailored for younger kids by the Center for Suicide Prevention and Research using age-appropriate learning activities and tools to understand how to access support from trusted adults in a crisis. The team hopes to start piloting this innovative program in the coming year. Until then, middle school and high school versions of SOS continue to be viewed as best practice and are available at no cost through the CSPR prevention team.

“We are shifting gears to keep up with trend for younger children so we can address this problem from both a prevention standpoint and our research,” says Dr. Ruch. “Our goal is always prevention first.”

 

 

References:

  1. Ruch DA, Horowitz LM, Hughes JL, Sarkisian K, Luby JL, Fontanella CA, Bridge JA. Suicide in US preteens Aged 8 to 12 Years, 2001 to 2022. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Jul 1;7(7):e2424664.
  2. Wygant CA, Hartman C, Xia X, Michaels NL, Ruch DA. Characteristics and precipitating circumstances of preteen and teen suicide decedents who died by firearm in the United States, 2012-2021. JAACAP Open. 2025 May 28;3(3):655-662.

Image Credit: Adobe Stock

About the author

Katherine (Katie) Brind’Amour is a freelance medical and health science writer based in Pennsylvania. She has written about nearly every therapeutic area for patients, doctors and the general public. Dr. Brind’Amour specializes in health literacy and patient education. She completed her BS and MS degrees in Biology at Arizona State University and her PhD in Health Services Management and Policy at The Ohio State University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and is interested in health promotion via health programs and the communication of medical information.

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