Children and Young People
The suicide rate in under-20s is relatively low compared with older age groups. However rates across all age groups under 25 have been increasing over the last decade in England. Data suggests that this increase in rates is now levelling off , but we must continue to focus action on prevention to reverse this trend.
What you can do to support
Like adults, children and young people suffer emotional distress and can sometimes struggle to understand their feelings and how to access help to manage these. Emotional distress and suicidal thoughts may be linked to many factors including: poor mental health; self-harm; academic pressures or worries, bullying; social isolation; relationship issues; family environment, substance misuse etc. Young people who have been recently bereaved in particular if bereavement came as a result of suicide can be at increased risk. Timely appropriate mental health support is crucial to suicide prevention, as is reducing stigma in help seeking.
NHS England continues to invest in mental health services through the NHS Long Term Plan. Services and support offered by the VCSE and social care sectors and informal caregiving, including by parents and carers, also play an important role in suicide prevention. A collaborative approach is key to best support the needs of children and young people, and their parents and families (Suicide prevention in England: 5-year cross-sector strategy). Online support resources for children and young peoples mental health can be accessed through Every Mind Matters.
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