Increase in self-harm and suicidal behaviors in child and adolescent population

To prevent suicidal behaviors, it is necessary to strengthen primary care, hospital, and mental health resources within pediatric population

There is an increase in self-harm and suicidal behaviors among the child and adolescent population in Spain. The Spanish Society of Pediatric Emergencies (SEUP) has provided alarming data on the statistics of suicidal behavior and self-harm.

The SEUP reports a 122% increase in diagnoses of intentional overdose, along with a 56% rise in the diagnosis of suicidal ideation and behavior, taking into account the period from March 2019 to 2020.

In a prospective analysis conducted in 2021, involving 23 pediatric emergency units from different autonomous communities, 281 suicide attempts were documented in the first 9 months. Of these cases, 90.1% of the patients were females, average age 14.8 years. On the other hand, the major risk factors were having engaged in non-suicidal self-harm (82.6%) or having made a previous suicide attempt (57.7%).

According to the authors of this study (Vázquez-López et al., 2023), it is necessary to reinforce primary care, hospital, and mental health resources for the pediatric population. They highlight the importance of mental health training for healthcare professionals involved with child and adolescent population, extending this training to the school and family environment. The focus should be on promoting emotional health and resilience from an early age.

Original paper: Vázquez López, P., Armero Pedreira, P., Martínez-Sánchez, L., García Cruz, J. M., Bonetde Luna, C., Notario Herrero, F., Sánchez Vázquez, A. R., Rodríguez Hernández, P. J., & Díez Suárez, A. (2023). Self-injury and suicidal behavior in children and youth population: Learning from the pandemic. Anales de pediatria, 98(3), 204–212. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anpede.2022.11.005