A new report by the Centers for Disease control has linked at least 28 attempted youth suicides to a cluster in Kent and Sussex counties during a four month period last year.
The Center was brought in after 11 youths between the ages of 12 and 21 took their lives in those two counties between January 1st and May 4th.
A team of researchers from the Center found that a 28 of the 116 non-fatal suicide attempts in that period had evidence of “indirect contagion.”
They said that while there were no copy-cat attempts the 28 were made by people who knew students who died, attended the same school or had heard of theirs deaths through other connections.
The Wilmington News Journal reports that researchers found 47 percent had received mental health treatment while 42 percent had a history of suicidal thoughts before their attempt.
In addition, 41 percent had previously injured themselves while 41 percent had a history of depression.
And 34 percent had been the victims of violent crime or abuse most of which was sexual violence.
