Definition: Estimated percentage of children ages 12-17 who have ever had thoughts about hurting themselves, by number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). E.g., in 2024, among California youth ages 12-17 with 1-5 ACEs, 29.3% had had suicidal thoughts.
Data Source: Has had adverse childhood experiences - Teen: The California Health Interview Survey, 2022-2024. Tabulation by the California Dept. of Public Health, Injury and Violence Prevention Branch (Jun. 2026).
Footnote: This indicator reports on exposure to five adverse childhood experiences from birth to the time of survey: (1) parent or guardian got divorced or separated; (2) parent or guardian served time in jail or prison; (3) witnessed domestic violence (seen or heard parents, guardians, or other adults in the home slapping, hitting, kicking, punching, or beating each other up); (4) household member was mentally ill, suicidal, or severely depressed for more than a couple of weeks; (5) household member abused alcohol or drugs. These estimates are based on a survey of the population and are subject to both sampling and nonsampling error. Use data with caution: Estimates are statistically stable within a 30% coefficient of variation but may not meet kidsdata.org's standards for reliability based on margin of error (MOE), which require MOEs of no greater than five (or ten) percentage points at the 95% (or 90%) confidence level. For more information, visit the California Health Interview Survey.
