Suicide: children and young adults

Suicide was the leading cause of death among children and young adults in Scotland between 2011 and 2020. Public Health Scotland (PHS) (2022a) determined that around a quarter (25.7%) of all deaths in those aged 5—24 years was due to probable suicide, more than the combined number of young people who died from road accidents and accidental poisonings. In Scotland, the highest suicide rate among males and females is among those aged 35-54 years (PHS, 2022b).

Among those aged 5—24 years, the average suicide rate overall was 6.6 deaths per 100 000, significantly lower than the average 17.5 deaths per 100 000 people among those aged 25 years and over (PHS, 2022a). In the period covered by the PHS report 820 young people living in Scotland died by suicide, or an average of seven deaths per month.