The suicide rate for young people between the ages of 10 and 24 jumped 8 percent from 2003 to 2004, representing the largest single-year increase in 15 years, a report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found.

Although overall suicide rates among young people fell by nearly 30 percent since 1990, one "dramatic and huge" increase is drawing concern from health officials: the suicide rate among *** and young teen girls, those aged 10 to 14, rose 76 percent from 2003 to 2004.

While in 2003 56 girls in that age group committed suicide, the number rose to 94 in 2004. Overall, the rate is still relatively low, representing less than one suicide per 100,000 population.

Health officials say they are puzzled by the increase and are watching to see if it is a trend or just a "blip."

The report also revealed other concerning statistics about suicide in U.S. young people, such as:

• Suicide rates among girls aged 15 to 19 rose 32 percent; suicides among males in that age group rose 9 percent.
• There were 4,599 suicides among young people in 2004.
• In 2004, suicide was the third-leading cause of death among young people (car crashes and homicides were first and second, respectively).
• Males commit suicide more often than females (males accounted for three-quarters of all the suicides)
• The most common suicide method in 2004 was hanging and suffocation (in 1990, it was guns).

The CDC is recommending that health officials focus suicide prevention programs on girls aged 10 to 19 and boys aged 15 to 19.

Warning signs of potential suicidal behavior include mental illness, alcohol and drug use, family dysfunction, and relationship problems.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention MMWR Weekly September 7, 2007, 56(35);905-908 

Yahoo News September 6, 2007