A new study has revealed that one in twelve U.S. teenagers has attempted suicide.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey results where they found almost eight per cent of teens have tried to kill themselves at least once.
On a larger scale, suicides made up 13 per cent of all deaths among U.S. youths ages 10 to 24 last year, according to the study.
Issue: Officials found one in twelve U.S. teens have tried to kill themselves at least once (picture posed by model)
The research focused on students in public and private schools in grades nine through 12 in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Wyoming had the highest rate of attempted suicide among youths, with 11.3 per cent, followed by South Carolina and Indiana, both with 11 per cent.
Chicago had the highest attempted suicide rate for large urban schools surveyed with 15.8 per cent. The city also had the highest rate for overall females at 16 per cent.
The area of Charlotte-Mecklenburg, North Carolina closely followed at 15.3 per cent. The region had the highest rate for males at 16.7 per cent.
The percentage of suicide attempts among high school youths has risen since 2009 when the rate was 6.3 per cent.
The most at-risk youths are Hispanic girls as 13.5 per cent have tried to commit suicide one or more times.
Concern: The percentage of suicide attempts among high school youths has risen to nearly 8 per cent from 2009's 6.3 per cent rate (picture posed by model)
More than 10 per cent of Hispanic students overall tried to commit suicide compared to 8.3 per cent of black students and 6.2 per cent of white youths.
Attempted suicide was higher among younger high school students.
The rates showed 9.3 per cent of students in 9th grade and 8.2 per cent of 10th-graders attempted suicide compared to 11th grade students, at 6.6 per cent, and 12th-graders, at 6.3 per cent.
Neuropsychologist Hector Adames told MSNBC that the availability of communition through technology is a major reason why suicide rates are on the rise.
'What happens with an increase in communication among students is that there's more pressure. There's more bullying.'
He went on to say: 'When adolescents and children feel embarrassed, it's kind of like the end of the world for them.'
Young people in large urban school districts had the highest rate of suicide ranging from 6 per cent to 15.8 per cent.
Across U.S. states, the rates ranged from 3.6 per cent to 11.3 per cent.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2156759/Suicide-teens-One-U-S-teenagers-attempted-suicide.html#ixzz1xOmUOz1q
