The Children's Safety Network (CSN) has released new figures on the costs of childhood injuries anddeaths, including those associated with suicide and self-harm.

 

CSN estimates that in 2015, the total medical costs of suicide deaths for children age 10-19 amounted to $15.9 million. Only homicides cost the nation more. These costs include autopsies, medical examiner investigations, emergency transport, and expenses to the treatment location where the child ultimately died.

 

Self-harm injuries accounted for $456 million in hospitalization costs and $101.9 million in emergency department visits that year--these figures include the costs for admissions, emergency transport, follow-up and long-term care, and insurance payouts. All estimates are based on death and injury figures calculated by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Between 2011 and 2015, suicide death rates for children aged 10-19 rose by 20.5%, even as rates for other causes of injury fell (for example, teen motor vehicle deaths were down by 31.6% and fire deaths by 17.9%). The rate of self-harm hospitalizations went up by 30.1% and the rate of ED visits increased by 12.5%.

 

A comprehensive report on the costs of leading childhood injuries and deaths, including suicide and self-harm, is available on the CSN website ( https://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/blog/new-csn-resources-costs-childhood-injuries) alongside infographics for deaths, hospitalizations, and ED visits.

 

CSN works with state and local health and injury prevention programs to promote child and adolescent health through the collection of timely data and recommendation of strategies to prevent injuries and deaths among youth. It offers an archive of state-specific information, with reports going back several years. The Tennessee fact sheets are available at https://www.childrenssafetynetwork.org/state/tennessee.