Researchers at the University of New Hampshire have found that an increase in suicidal thoughts in adolescents appears to be associated with recent victimization, including by peers, sexual assault, or other maltreatment.
Using data from a national survey of young people ages 10 to 17, researchers found that about 4 percent reported having suicidal thoughts in the preceding month.
The study, published online this month in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, found that adolescents who had been victimized by peers were more than twice as likely to contemplate suicide than others their age. Experiencing sexual assault increased the likelihood of having such thoughts by more than 300 percent.
