Background: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) has identified suicide as the third leading cause of death among children and young adults between the ages of 10 to 24 years old. A number of risk factors have been identified for suicidal behavior, such as gender differences (more males commit suicide and more females attempt suicide), age, ethnicity, family and social factors. The aim of this study is to identify assorted comorbid mental health conditions, demographics, and precipitating events (e.g., arguments with parents or romantic partners) that lead to the suicide of children and adolescents under the age of 18.

Method: We conducted a case series of youth suicides (n=81), captured through the Los Angeles Coroner’s office between 2005 and 2010. All data from the reports were entered into Qualtrics database. Data analysis will involve descriptive statistics (means, frequencies, percentages) using SPSS. Information about suicide cases were collected from open-ended narratives describing the scene of the suicide, including the testimony of witness/es.

Results: Fifty percent of the study sample was Hispanic and 22% previously attempted suicide. The most common method of suicide was hanging/suffocation (59.3%). It was reported that 54 (66.7%) of the victims displayed symptoms related to psychiatric disorders with the most frequent symptoms related to mood disorders (44%). Approximately, 50% of the cases had a preceding event that consisted of an argument with a family member.

Conclusion: This study found that more than the half of the youth had at least one psychopathology symptom and approximately 84% had an argument with a significant other as a preceding event. Our findings suggest that prevention of suicide should involve programs that enhance or improve interpersonal relationships and equip youth with skills in dealing with interpersonal conflicts.