Utah Youth Suicide Study, Phase 1: Government Agency Contact Before Death

A descriptive epidemiological analysis was conducted on data from multiple Utah government agencies on 151 consecutive youth suicides between August 1996 & June 1999. The majority of victims were male & firearms were the most common method. 63% of cases had contact with Juvenile Justice & there was a direct correlation between number of referrals & increased suicide risk. Few subjects had evidence of active psychiatric treatment. Juvenile Justice may be a novel site for the screening & identification of at-risk youth. (36 refs.)