Shortage of background information on suicides among young people compromises prevention

Background  Distress among young people living in Finland has risen, being evident from more prevalent symptoms of anxiety and emergency visits for poisonings. Youth suicides have remained steady in recent years.

Methods  Data on suicides in 2023 among those under 25 years of age were retrieved from the Finnish Medico-Legal Information System (Olt) of the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

Results  In 2023, 115 individuals under 25 years of age died by suicide. Suicide mortality rate was 6.5 for females and 9.2 for males per 100,000 individuals under 25 years of age. Mental disorders contributed to 80 (69 %) of the deaths. Of the deceased, 52 (45 %) had contact with mental health services. Of the deceased, 48 (42 %) were students, 16 (10 %) were employed, and 12 (10 %) were unemployed. Bullying was noted in four cases. Hanging was the most common method, followed by poisoning. Antidepressants, benzodiazepines, and opioids were the most common substances involved in the latter.

Conclusions  Substance abuse was more often a contributing factor to suicides among males, whereas depression was more prominent among females. To enhance suicide prevention, understanding the underlying factors and characteristics of youth suicides better is essential, as the coverage of registry data varies between individuals.