State and national records show that suicide is the second leading cause of death in youth ages 10-19, with accidents being the first. Suicide is the leading cause of death among college students. The most recent figures show that Maine has consistently higher suicide rates than the national average. The average suicide rate for youth in Maine ages 15-19 is almost 20 percent higher than the U.S. average, while the rate for ages 10-14 has nearly doubled since the 1980's. In 1992, the national suicide rate per 100,000 was 6.1 for ages 10-19. Maine's rate for the same ages in 1992 was 8.7 per 100,000 (Maine Department of Human Services, Bureau of Health, Office of Data, Research and Vital Statistics).

Suicide is tragic, but it is also preventable.

(If you are in Maine and are in a crisis now, please call the confidential statewide crisis hotline at 1-888-568-1112. If you are outisde the state of Maine, Please call your local crisis response service or 911. If you are in the need of Acadia Services, please call 973-6100 or 1-800-640-1211 and ask for the Access Center.)