Suicides among children and young adults rose by an alarming 8 percent in 2004, the largest rise in 15 years, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported on Thursday.In 2004, 4,599 children and adults aged 10 to 24 committed suicide, making it the third leading cause of death in that age group, the CDC said.
The suicide rate for 10 to 24-year-olds rose to 7.32 deaths per 100,000 in 2004 from 6.78 deaths per 100,000 in 2003.
"This is the biggest annual increase that we've seen in 15 years. We don't yet know if this is a short-lived increase or if it's the beginning of a trend," said Dr. Ileana Arias, director of CDC's National Center for Injury Prevention and Control.
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