Editorial: Suicide Risk Factors in Black Middle School Adolescents

Five hundred ninety-eight youth in the United States 10 to 14 years of age died by suicide in 2021, the second leading cause of death in this age group (with accidents first, malignant neoplasms third, and homicides fourth) and the third leading cause of death in young people 15 to 24 years of age (with accidents first and homicide second).¹ Suicide rates in youth 10 to 19 years of age increased by almost 50% from 2010 to 2019, and increased by 100% in youth 10 to 14 years of age, with ethnic and racial variations in rates.² Rates in Black youth 10 to 17 years of age are reported to have increased at a faster pace than those in other racial and ethnic groups, with rates in Black youth under the age of 13 twice those in White youth³; however, research on risk factors and other suicide-related topics in Black youth remains limited, and the paucity of studies in individuals below age 14 is particularly notable. Behind the statistics are the individual stories of young lives cut short, irreparable heartbreak for families and friends, and opportunities lost for identification of risk, lifesaving interventions, and prevention.