Teen suicides reach 'stunning' peak in Snohomish County

EVERETT, Wash. (AP) — Health officials say the number of teen suicides since September is more than double what's been recorded in previous years.

The Everett Herald reports 13 teens committed suicide this academic year, a number that Snohomish Health District officer Gary Goldbaum says is stunning. Annual numbers since 2009 show between one and six suicide deaths in the county.

The health district also reported a 12,000-student survey found nearly one in five seriously thought about killing themselves.

Most suicides happened at the start and end of the school year.

Healthy Communities specialist Wendy Burchill urges parents look for signs of depression like changes in eating or sleeping habits.