A new study found that many teens are committing suicide by suffocating or hanging themselves.
Researchers at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that the second leading cause of death among people with ages 10 to 24 in 2012 is suicide. The commonly used methods of suicide include guns, suffocation or hanging, and poisoning or drug overdose.
While the suicide rate of those using guns to kill themselves fell by almost half and poisoning remaining to be the least preferred method, the study saw a significant increase in the number of teens hanging or strangling themselves to death. The rate jumped by 6.7 percent on females and 2.2 percent on males between 1994 and 2012.
The researchers admitted that further study is needed to determine the reason behind the increase especially for teenage girls.
The findings can be used to improve programs that can increase the doctors and parents' awareness of the suicide method used by teens so that they can take preventive measures.
"Those who work with young people should be aware of trends in suffocation [hanging] suicides so they can accurately assess risk and educate families about the importance of reducing access to highly lethal methods where possible, not leaving those at risk alone, and seeking help," the CDC said in a news release.
Teens tend to post on Facebook and other social networking sites if they plan to commit suicide, but some of the common warning signs include always thinking or talking about death, depression, having a "death wish," making comments of hopelessness, and visiting close people just to say goodbye to them.
If you know someone who is showing these signs, experts suggest that you take it seriously and try to talk the idea out of that person. If that person doesn't want to listen, then it is best to seek a mental health professional.
The study was published in the March 6 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
