Arizona continues to see more child deaths due to maltreatment involving physical abuse, neglect or both.
A state review of 2015 child deaths reports that maltreatment accounted for 11 percent of overall deaths as the mortality rate due to maltreatment increased 15 percent from 2014.
The report says child fatalities due to maltreatment increased from 75 deaths in 2014 to 87 deaths in 2015. The 2015 mortality rate is up 43 percent since 2009.
The report says all of the maltreatment deaths were preventable and that 301 of the 768 overall child deaths could have been prevented.
In another key finding, the report says child suicides increased from 38 deaths in 2014 to 47 in 2015. Associated factors included substance abuse, bullying, behavioral health disorders, and access to guns.
