YOUTH SUICIDE IN NORTH CAROLINA
The North Carolina Violent Death Reporting System (NC-VDRS) is a CDC-funded statewide surveillance system that
collects detailed information on deaths that occur in N.C. resulting from violence: homicide, suicide, unintentional
firearm deaths, legal intervention, and deaths for which intent could not be determined. NC-VDRS is a multi-source
system that gathers information from death certificates, medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports.
The goal of this system is to aid researchers, legislators, and community interest groups in the development of
public health prevention strategies to reduce violent deaths. NC-VDRS began collecting data in January, 2004. This
document summarizes deaths among N.C. residents ages 10 to 24 years completing suicide for the years 2004-
2007.
• Between 2004 and 2007, nearly 1,300
North Carolina residents ages 10 to 24
died as a result of violence. Of those,
544 were suicide-related.
• Males consistently had a higher suicide
rate than females, regardless of age.
• The suicide rate peaked for young
adults ages 20-24, with a secondary peak
in the 15-19 age group.
• 78 percent of all suicide victims were identified as white, 19 percent black, and 3 percent of
belonging to an other racial/ethnic group.
• Overall, 58 percent of suicides
involved firearms followed by
hanging/strangulation/suffocation (28
percent) and poisoning (8 percent).
• Less than 10 percent of suicides
were accomplished using a method
other than firearms, hanging, or
poisoning.
2.0
11.5
23.2
0.5
2.8
4.1
0
5
10
15
20
25
10-14
15-19
20-24
Age
Rate per 100,000 N.C. population
Male Female
Gender Specific Suicide Rates by Age:
NC-VDRS: 2004-2007
Method of Death: N.C. 2004-2007
58
28
8
2 1 3
0
20
40
60
80
100
Firearm Hanging Poisoning Falls Drowning Other*
Percent of Suicides
*Other includes sharp insturment, fire/burns, motor vehicle, and other causes of suicide.
• Nearly one-half (45 percent) of
youth suicide victims with
circumstance information were
categorized as having a crisis within
the past two weeks.
• 55 percent of all female victims and
33 percent of all male victims had
been characterized as having a
current mental health problem by a
medical professional.
• A similar trend was seen in mental
health treatment. 48 percent of
females versus 27 percent of males
were being treated for a mental
health problem at the time of death.
• Males (47 percent) were more likely
to have experienced a crisis within
two weeks of death compared to
females (35%).
More information on suicide prevention efforts can be found at:
State Resource Partners
Mental Health Association in North Carolina, Inc.
Contact: Romaine E. Riddle 919-866-3272
www.mha-nc.org
N.C. Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services
www.ncdhhs.gov/mhddsas
North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Contact: Krista Ragan, Child Death Investigator, 919-445-4414
www.ocme.unc.edu
The Triangle Consortium for Suicide Prevention
Contact: Phil Morse
www.trianglesuicideprevention.org
National Resources
The Suicide Prevention Resource Center
www.sprc.org
The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
www.afsp.org
Suicide Circumstances*: NC-VDRS: 2004-2007
33
16
48
5
36
27
12
22 19
31
47
27
47
54
24
33
20
35
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Current Depressed Mood
Current Mental Health Problem
Current Mental Health Treatment
History of Suicide Attempt(s)
Left a Suicide Note
Disclosed Intent
Intimate Partner Problem
Crisis Within Two Weeks
Recent Criminal Legal Problem
Percent of Suicides
Male
Female
• 19 percent of male and 20 percent of female victims had disclosed their intent to commit suicide to someone
else.
• Females (33 percent) were more likely to leave a suicide note than males (22 percent).
