Abstract
• Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 5- to 19-year-olds in the United States and accounts for more than 100 000 years of potential life lost annually. We present cross-sectional and longitudinal data on suicide for 0- to 19-year-olds by age, sex, and race; clinical and sociocultural factors associated with youth suicide; cost estimates of morbidity and mortality; intervention and prevention strategies; and future research directions. (AJDC. 1990;144:670-676)