'Volatile mix': Kids at risk for suicide can get guns, report finds [View all]
Source: NBC News
As many as one in five children who are at risk of suicide live in homes where they can get hold of guns -- the single most effective means to killing themselves -- researchers reported on Monday.
They said their findings show it’s extremely important to screen children for suicide risk, and to educate parents about how to keep guns out of their hands if they are. And early treatment is also vital.
“A lot of kids, surprisingly, don’t have a history of mental illness but they attempt suicide,” says Dr. Stephen Teach, an emergency room doctor at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C.
Suicide is the No. 3 cause of death for children and youths aged 10 to 24, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 4,600 kids and young adults kill themselves each year, and 45 percent of them use guns. Another 40 percent suffocate or strangle themselves and 8 percent poison themselves.
Read more: http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/06/18068928-volatile-mix-kids-at-risk-for-suicide-can-get-guns-report-finds
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