The majority of teens who kill themselves have never made a prior attempt, the researchers wrote. And boys are more likely than girls to die from suicide because they use lethal means such as guns. That and cultural influences that make it more acceptable for males to take their lives account for their higher suicide rates.

Myth: Suicide is not inherited.

Fact: Genetics has a critical role in mental illness and suicide. Some families have increased risk for depression over generations, while others have increased risk for depression and suicide. Future prevention programs need to focus on predispositions to suicide, the researchers say.

Myth: Teen suicide represents treatment failure.

Fact: Studies indicate few suicide completers were in treatment at the time of their deaths.

Government data showed that 1 percent of teenagers who took their lives were in public mental health treatment and 3 percent had psychotropic drugs in their systems.

The leveling off of youth suicide coincides with increased use of antidepressants and mood stabilizers. There is no proof of a causal link, but other known risk factor such as divorce or substance abuse were unchanged.

"Parents identified the stigma of mental illness and the denial of mental illness as the most significant barrier between teen suicide completers and treatment."

Myth: Teenagers have the highest suicide rate.

Fact: Elderly white males have always had the highest rate, but adolescent rates more than tripled between the 1960s and 1990s.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for teenagers. In addition, cluster suicides occur predominantly with teens. The researchers found that a lack of appropriate treatment or compliance with treatment for mental illness leads to suicide rather than the illness alone.

Moskos, Achilles and Gray say the six myths they identified show better research is needed to combat the high teenage suicide rate, and that too often suicide prevention programs aren't designed, implemented and evaluated with appropriate supporting research.

Psychiatric illnesses are often viewed differently from other medical problems. Public awareness, researchers said, could close the gap between the perception of mental and physical illness as separate issues.

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