To the Editor: The significant increase in youth suicides in 2004 and 2005 identified by Dr Bridge and colleagues1 in their Research Letter is further evidence of the critical need for a truly national data system on the circumstances surrounding violent deaths in the United States, including youth suicide. As the authors point out, the raw data alone tell nothing about the causes, leaving only guesswork to guide devising preventive strategies.
This is particularly unfortunate because the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) gathers, links, and analyzes data on the circumstances surrounding violent deaths as captured in coroner reports, death certificates, law enforcement records, crime laboratory reports, and data from social agencies.2 By linking this information, the NVDRS can provide a clearer picture of when, where, why, and how suicide occurs, thus providing the foundation for well-informed prevention strategies. Yet the current funding levels provided by Congress allow only 17 states to participate,2 precluding a comprehensive national understanding of what underlies youth suicide and how it can be prevented. Although the additional research that Bridge et al call for is certainly needed to understand and address this alarming problem, so is full funding for the NVDRS by Congress.
Financial Disclosures: None reported.
Country-Specific Mortality and Growth Failure in Infancy and Yound Children and Association With Material Stature
Use interactive graphics and maps to view and sort country-specific infant and early dhildhood mortality and growth failure data and their association with maternal
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