Teen girls’ suicide rate just hit an all-time high

According to new data from the National Center for Health Statistics, the suicide rate of girls between 15-19 has hit an all-time high since the study began in 1975.

In 2015, 5.1 girls in every 100,000 committed suicide, meaning the frequency of suicide more than double since 2007. However, it’s inconclusive whether this is an established pattern of decline or an anomaly.

Carl Tishler, an adjunct associate professor of psychology and psychiatry at The Ohio State University, told CNN “Without access to emergency department data or coroner data, I cannot say what caused this blip.” However, he speculates such a high rate could be caused by “some of the opiate or heroin overdoses in adolescents being interpreted by emergency departments as suicides. There may be more Internet suicides.”

Social media has been blamed for increased rates of depression in teens, so increased internet use seems like a safe speculation.

With suicide rates increasing, an increased societal awareness of depression symptoms is critical.

If you or a loved one are experiencing suicidal thoughts, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.