The economic and human cost of suicidal behavior to
individuals, families, communities and society makes
suicide a serious public health problem around the
world. In the US, suicide is one of the leading causes of
death among young people. It is the third leading cause
of death among 15-24 year olds and the second leading
cause of death among 25-34 year olds. What’s more, in
2009, almost 1 in 7 high school students (grades 9-12)
reported that they had seriously considered suicide in the
past year (CDC, 2010). That is equal to three students in a
typical classroom of 20 (U.S. Dept. of Education, 2009).