The incidence of child suicide in Minnesota

Although child suicide is a relatively rare occurrence, it is a growing problem that warrants additional attention both in Minnesota and nationally.

We obtained mechanisms-of-death data coded from death certificates of Minnesota residents under age 15 who had committed suicide during the five-year period 1990 to 1994. In addition, we calculated three-year floating average annual rates for the years 1975 to 1993.

A total of 37 children aged 5 to 14 committed suicide from 1990 to 1994, an annual rate of 1.1/100,000. In most cases, the child used a firearm. Three-year floating annual rates ranged from a low of 0.4/100,000 in the years 1980 and 1981, to a high of 1.4/100,000 in 1992 and 1993.

Because child suicide is an infrequent event, little research has been done on prevention strategies. Our results suggest child suicide is increasing, and consequently, new prevention strategies should be explored.