Exploring Teen Suicide Rates through the Lens of Macro Risk Factors

As the second leading cause of death in teenagers, suicide has been a consistent public health issue for the past decade. Our goal is to understand the relationship between increasing teen suicide rates by state policies. We explore links between macro-level risk factors and state suicide rates. Risk factors explored include state behavioral health spending, child access policies for firearms, insurance coverage, tax revenue from tobacco and alcohol, school spending per pupil, pupil support services funding, and teacher spending. This research shows a relationship between pupil support spending, any child access law, required legislation, and lower teen suicide rates. The results from this study can aid in the understanding of macro-level influences on teen suicide; empowering advocates, lawmakers, and researchers to develop informed interventions and policies. Increasing multi-level understanding around suicide can provide an opportunity to slow or stop suicide rates.