The Rise: Race and Ethnicity

The Rise: Race and Ethnicity

Note: this is part of the Youth Suicide Rise project.

Between 2007 and 2018 the child suicide rates increased (proportionally) the greatest for Asian girls (who started with very low rates) and the least for Native American boys (who started with extremely high rates):

Changes between 3-year periods 05-07 and 16-18 show a less extreme gain by Asian girls but also show a slight decrease in suicide for Native American boys:

Ethnicity

Hispanic rates between 2007 and 2018 increased by 132% for boys (above the 104% male child average) and 178% for girls (nearly the same as the 181% female child average). Change from 05-07 to 16-18 was 70% for boys and 116% for girls, close to the averages for all boys and girls.

Demographic Shifts

Demographic shifts between 2007 and 2018 were small and mainly in the direction of decreasing child suicide: White population decreased by 3% and non-Hispanic population decreased by 6% (both groups having higher suicide rates than their complementary groups).

Summary

The child suicide rise is the greatest among Asians and the smallest among Native Americans, the groups that have respectively the smallest and largest child suicide rates.  Black girls also have elevated increases but smaller rates. Racial and ethnic demographic shifts do not explain any increase in suicides.

Notes:

The suicide rate for Native American girls jumped from 19 in 2017 to 32 in 2018, which explains the discrepancy between the first two graphs. With counts so small it is best to consider aggregate data.

The Native American group is termed 'American Indian / Alaskan Native' in the CDC WISQARS tool and it seems to consist of mainly 3 distinct native groups: Alaskans and Hispanic/non-Hispanic Americans.