CDC Launches Investigation Into Palo Alto Teen Suicides
PALO ALTO (KPIX 5) – A team from the Centers for Disease Control will be in Palo Alto starting on Tuesday as they investigate a high rate of suicides among teens.
The five-member team consisting of suicide prevention specialists will be meeting with doctors and community leaders with the goal to prevent suicide in Santa Clara County.
Health officials have already done a lot of the data-gathering in the months leading up to this special visit, finding the county averages about 20 suicides per year of young people up to age 24.
Palo Alto has been grappling with the problem for years. In response, they are offering more counseling, installing fencing around Caltrain tracks, and starting school later so kids can get more sleep.
The CDC will track trends, identify risk and protective factors, and come up with recommendations for prevention. After their two week visit, the team will provide a preliminary report. A more detailed report is expected to be released after a couple of months.