[Epidemiology of adolescent suicide]

Among the more noticeable health and social indicators used for adolescents, the epidemiologic data on suicide point out one of the most serious risks in the present context of violence. In France, during the year 1995, 5,324 adolescent deaths from 14 to 24 of age were reported. The corresponding mortality rate is 66 for 100,000. The cause-of-death distribution shows the importance of violent deaths among adolescents. Actually, these deaths represent 70% of the 5,324 adolescent deaths. The proportion is higher for males (74%) than for females (60%). The most part of these violent deaths is due to accidents, especially transport accidents (38%). Deaths due to suicides are lower, however they constitute a significant part of the deaths concerning adolescents: 11% of the deaths that occurred from 15 to 19 of age, 17% of the deaths that occurred from 20 to 24 of age. At this time of life, the percentage of suicides is higher than for the whole population, where suicides are only responsible for 2% of the total deaths.