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Suicide rates among children and young people have increased by 50% in the last decade, according to figures published for the first time.
The analysis looked at data from almost 12 million children and young people who were aged between 15 and 25 from 2011-12 to 2021-22.
A total of 440 young people killed themselves in 2021-22, an increase of 47% compared with 300 such deaths in 2011-22, according to analysis by the ONS. There were 4,315 suicide deaths across the whole period.
Consequently, the suicide rate in every 100,000 children and young people increased by 54% over the same period.
Suicide rates were also seen to peak around the summer exam period, showing an increased rate in the spring. Conversely, the start of the academic year saw a slight decrease.
Gemma Byrne, the policy and influencing manager of Mind, said the figures were “devastating” and show that we are “sliding backwards, not moving forwards, on young people’s mental health”.
“The causes of suicide are complex and differ from person to person, but we know that over half a million people under 18 are on mental health waiting lists, with one in four of them waiting for more than two years for meaningful care,” Byrne added. “Too many young people can’t get help in the community when they need it.”
She warned: “Until the government grasps the scale of the nation’s mental health crisis, more children and young people will be let down by the systems supposed to care for them.
“We must see investment in timely support for young people, through a national network of early support hubs and a commitment to tackling mental health waiting lists, so they can get help before it’s too late.”
There were also “small significant differences” between the rates for males and females which appear when looking across the whole year, according to the data.
The highest rate of suicide for females was in early May, at 0.53 for every 100,000 people. This was “significantly higher” than the rate for females in early July, 0.29 for every 100,000 – the week when the highest rate of suicide occurred for males.
The figures for males range from a peak of 1.26 in early July to a low of 0.85 in late November.
The analysis comes after last year saw suicide rates across England and Wales reach its highest level since 1999, with charities calling on the government to invest in suicide prevention measures.
The Department of Health and Social Care has been approached for comment.
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In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, or email [email protected] or [email protected]. In the US, you can call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on 988, chat on 988lifeline.org, or text HOME to 741741 to connect with a crisis counselor. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14. Other international helplines can be found at befrienders.org
