Suicide

Early in the morning of October 29, Jeffery shocked neighbours, relatives and friends by tying an 18-foot extension cord around his neck and over the branch of a poplar tree. Anonymous

The Canadian Situation

• The suicide death rate for teenage men has increased four-fold from 5.3 to 23.0 per 100,000 between 1960 and 1991.

• The suicide rate for young women also increased from 0.9 to 4 per 100,000 between 1960 and 1991.

• The rate of suicide for youth 10 to 14 years of age almost doubled over the last 30 years from 0.6 per 100,000 to 2.4 per 100,000.

• In 1990, suicide was the second leading cause of death for both teenage men and women.
  

Hospitalization

• In 1989-90 the second leading cause of hospitalization for young women aged 15 to 19 is attempted suicide.

• Girls 10 to 14 years of age are hospitalized for attempted suicide at a rate five times that of boys.

• Teenage women are hospitalized for attempted suicide at twice the rate for young men.
  

Risk Factors

• There are many indications that youth are having problems within relationships.

• Fifty-three percent of young women and 37% of young men rate their lives as stressful.

• According to several national and provincial surveys, a substantial number of young people are lonely, depressed, emotionally distressed or not happy about their lives.

• Forty-three percent of young women 12 to 18 years of age state that they feel really depressed once a month compared to 23% of young men.

• According to a 1990 national survey, approximately 38% of young people 13 to 16 years of age reported that they felt good about themselves.

• Young women were less likely to feel good about themselves, 30% compared to 45% of young men.

• Exact figures are not available regarding the number of young people who live on the streets.

• According to one study, more than 60% of young people living on the streets in Canada leave home because of violence and abuse; on the street this violence continues.

• Approximately 33% of boys 13 to 16 years reported that they felt self confident compared to 22% of young girls.
  

Sex Differences

• In 1991 the rate of suicide for young men was six times greater than for young women.

• Young girls are more likely to attempt suicide than young boys.

• According to a Quebec child mental health survey, 10% of young girls and 4% of young boys 12 to 14 years of age had considered suicide in the 6 months before the survey.

• A survey in British Columbia revealed that 20% of grade 8 girls and 13% of grade 8 boys had considered suicide in the past year.
  

Aboriginal Children & Youth

• The suicide rate among Indian youth was five times that of the total Canadian population.

• Large proportions of Aboriginal people identified unemployment, alcohol, drug use, family violence, sexual abuse and suicide as significant social problems in their communities.
  

The Challenge

• We must rethink the way we work with and serve our children and youth. They are telling us that they need support, recognition, respect, and hope for the future.
  

Adapted from The Health of Canada's Children: A CICH Profile (2nd Edition) published by the Canadian Institute of Child Health, 1995.

Posted by: the Canadian Institute of Child Health, September 1996.

---