1 in 12 Ky. high-school sophomores in 2016 poll said they’d attempted suicide in previous year; prevention efforts increase
By Melissa Patrick
Kentucky Health News
A 2016 survey found that 8.2 percent of Kentucky’s high-school sophomores – about one in 12 – said they had attempted suicide at least once in the previous 12 months. That may seem high, but the national rate is even higher: 9.4 percent.
“We need to take that seriously,” Dr. Julie Cerel, a psychologist and professor at the University of Kentucky College of Social Work and president of the American Association of Suicidology, told Kentucky Health News.
The state is stepping up its efforts to prevent suicide among teenagers, said Patti Clark, the state’s suicide-prevention coordinator.
“Any number of students that attempt suicide is too many,” Clark said. “For us, that indicates that we have kids who have unidentified issues and they are not receiving appropriate care. They are not being connected to resources that can help them through the rough parts of their life.”
The biennial “Kentucky Incentives for Prevention” survey is given to students across the state in even-numbered grades starting in the sixth grade, but the official report says it only offers statistics from 10th graders, since these are the most likely indicators for high-school students. The survey primarily assesses alcohol, tobacco and other drug use, but also looks at suicide and other high risk behaviors.
