Suicides are on the rise in LA county.
Last year, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LACDPH) released the 2019 Suicide Prevention Report to the Community.
The following statistics come from that report, as well as the California School Climate, Health and Learning surveys (CalSCHLS):
- An average of two L.A. County residents dies by suicide every day. This rate is higher than the rates of drug overdose, car accident fatalities, and murder.
- Suicides increased from 2012-2017.
- In 2017 alone, there were 891 L.A. County suicides.
- Of close to 900 suicides in 2017, 27 of them were of adolescents and teens.
- This all-time high for L.A. County was nearly double the number of suicides in 2016.
- In 2018, Los Angeles County residents contacted the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and Teen Line a total of 102,312 times.
In California:
- Between 2013 and 2015, about 19 percent of California high school freshmen seriously considered attempting suicide in the previous year.
- According to America’s Health Rankings 2019, there was a 34% increase in teen suicides in California between the years 2016-2019. This rate is significantly higher than the national increase of 25% during the same time frame.
Help for Teens
If you or your teen is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – 1-800-273-8255. This hotline is open 24/7 and is fully confidential. In cases of emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital. If you are searching for a residential treatment center for your suicidal teen, read this to know what questions you should be asking the admissions representatives of the residential facility.