Suicide has been a leading cause of death for young people for at least the last half-century.
But in the early 2000s, those deaths began to surge, according to national data. Experts have struggled to explain why: Theories include Instagram and precocious puberty, easier access to guns, more stringent rules for prescribing antidepressants and increased use of hormonal contraceptives.
What they do know is that the age at which children kill themselves has been falling, while the ratio of girls to boys who die by suicide has climbed. In California, where teen suicide has been rising faster than in most states, the rate among Black and Asian youths is now higher than among white ones, according to California Department of Public Health data.
