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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 . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Michael D. Parkinson, MD, MPH
mdparkinson@yahoo.com
American College of Preventive Medicine
Washington, DC

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Suicide Trends Among Youths Aged 10 to 19 Years in the United States, 1996-2005
Jeffrey A. Bridge, Joel B. Greenhouse, Arielle H. Weldon, John V. Campo, and Kelly J. Kelleher
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RELATED LETTER

Reporting System for Violent Deaths and Youth Suicide—Reply
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