Study finds higher suicide rates among Medicaid youth



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Results from new study published by American Journal of Preventive Medicine to better target screening and prevention efforts for youth at higher risk of suicide

According to a new study published in the American Journal of Preventive MedicineNearly four out of ten youths who committed suicide in 16 states between 2009 and 2013 were enrolled in Medicaid.

"Nearly 40% of young people who died by suicide were covered by Medicaid, suggesting that effective suicide screening among registrants could dramatically reduce suicide mortality in the United States," explained the researcher. Cynthia A. Fontanella, PhD, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Wexner Medical Center, Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, USA.

While the overall suicide rate was consistent for Medicaid and non-Medicaid groups, and the highest suicide rates in both groups were among youth and men, there were notable differences in some demographic subgroups. . For example, there were significantly higher percentages of suicide among the Medicaid population of youth aged 10 to 14, women (regardless of age), and persons who died by hanging. This valuable information can be used to better target screening and prevention efforts and contribute to the achievement of the National Research Council's National Research Council's Priority on Research Prioritization (RPTF) Task Force. action for suicide prevention, which is to reduce by 20% the number of suicide attempts and suicide attempts.

The study badyzed data on 4,045 young people aged 10 to 18 who died by suicide between 2009 and 2013 in 16 states: California, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mbadachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, North Carolina, Ohio. , Oregon, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin. These states represent the ten most populous states in the United States, cover all parts of the country and account for two-thirds (65%) of the total Medicaid children's population. The death certificate data was compared to the Medicaid data and the injury statistics query and report system. Mortality rates by age, bad and cause were calculated separately for Medicaid and non-Medicaid groups.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among 10-24 year olds. More teens are committing suicide than cancer, heart disease, AIDS, conbad malformations, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung diseases combined in pursuit of the common vision of National Action Alliance for Suicide Prevention aimed at "a nation freed from the tragic experience of suicide", the RPTF published a research program aimed at reducing by 20% the number of Suicide attempts and suicide attempts by 2025. To achieve this goal, recommended that targeted interventions within "demarcated populations" (for example, the population defined by a service parameter or organizational function) constitute an immediate research focus because of the ability to identify and reach a large number of people at high risk of suicide in serum system environments. appropriate for: intervention.

The Medicaid program is a special and important framework for youth suicide prevention efforts. Each year, more than 36 million children are enrolled in Medicaid and have more risk factors for suicide, including mental illness, compared to the general population. Despite the broad scope of the program, no previous study had examined suicide among youth enrolled in Medicaid. The few existing studies on suicide mortality in health systems have been focused on adults served by the Veterans Health Administration, enrolled in a state Medicaid program or an HMO network.

"This is the first study to examine suicide mortality in a national sample of young people enrolled in Medicaid and to compare suicide rates between Medicaid populations and non-Medicaid populations." risk and protective factors badociated with youth suicide risk, this study provides a point of comparison that was not previously available for other health systems that could initiate suicide mortality surveillance in their populations. ", explained Dr. Fontanella. "Our findings, as well as previous research indicating that Medicaid subgroups experience more abuse and adversity related to poverty than non-Medicaid youth, suggest the need to develop the capacity of delivery systems for health care to implement trauma-informed approaches across the continuum of care. "

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