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News
Suicide rates among 10- to 14-year-old girls have surged, nearly closing the longstanding gap with boys, according to new research in JAMA Pediatrics. From 2018 to 2024, boys' suicide rates fell 35% while girls' rose 13%. Experts point to social media as a key driver, and say prevention programs need to urgently catch up.
For decades, boys died by suicide at far higher rates than girls — but that gap is rapidly disappearing among the youngest teens. A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that suicide death rates among 10- to 14-year-olds nearly equalized between 2018 and 2024. In 2017, boys in this age group died by suicide at double the rate of girls; by 2024, the difference had shrunk to just 4%.
The shift wasn't driven by improvement across the board — it was largely fueled by a troubling rise in girls' suicide rates. Psychologist Jean Twenge, the study's author, points to social media as a likely contributor, noting that research consistently links heavy social media use to depression and self-harm, with stronger effects in girls. Among Black girls, suicide rates now actually exceed those of Black boys.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: These findings challenge long-held assumptions about who is most at risk for suicide. Prevention programs built around older data may be missing a growing and vulnerable population — young girls. Clinicians and schools need to reassess their approaches now.
