Our best guess about why the rate went up so much was because of increased use of alcohol and certain drugs during that period. We are unsure about the reasons for the decline in recent years, except that this is something that has been noted in nearly every country in the world, and our best guess is that it has something to do with the greatly increased use of antidepressants for teenagers. So, depressed teenagers are much more likely now to be treated with effective medication than they were at any time in the past. And, we like to believe that the recent decline in suicide rates in boys is probably due to this. The causes are a little different in boys and girls.
Suicide is five times more common in boys than girls.
In boys there is nearly always depression, often associated with alcohol abuse, and with the boys getting into trouble fairly frequently. That is to say, getting into trouble with their relationships, or in school, or sometimes with the law. And this second group will often commit suicide just before an event that they are very anxious about is due to occur. The first group will nearly always commit suicide just after they have experienced some kind of stress event, like getting into trouble, or having problems in their relationship. In girls, alcohol and substance abuse doesn't appear to play such a big role, and most girls who commit suicide have a straightforward major depression, and they will die often during their illness.