Teen Suicide Rate on the Rise

Teen suicide rates, which had been declining over the past decade, experienced a sharp rise in 2004 over the previous year, according to a recent report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Although rates fell slightly in 2005, the most recent year for which data was available, the rate was still higher than expected.

Some, such as the National Mental Health Association, believe the "black box" warning regarding a possible link between teen suicide and antidepressant use which was issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2004 caused fewer teens to get the treatment that they needed, leading to more suicides.

Federal health officials, however, urge caution in interpreting just what this spike means until the data for subsequent years is available.