Suicides by girls and young women continue to climb

NEW YORK — Health officials say the suicide rate for girls and young women continues to rise, at a pace far faster than for young males.

The suicide rate for boys and young men climbed from 2007 to 2013, too. And it remains three times higher than the female rate for ages 10 to 24.

But the female increase has been steadier and more dramatic. One expert said that may be because more girls and young women are using hanging or other forms of suffocation, which is more lethal than drug overdose — the method used most by younger females.

In 2013, the rate for young females was 3.4 per 100,000. The rate for males was 11.9.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the report Thursday.