Charities accuse government of ‘sliding backwards’ on child mental health after ONS findings
Suicide rates among children and young people in England have increased by 50% in the last decade, figures show.
The Office for National Statistics analysed data covering almost 12 million children and young people aged between 15 and 25 from 2011-12 to 2021-22. There were 4,315 suicides across the whole period.
A total of 440 young people killed themselves in 2021-22, up 47% from the 300 such deaths in 2011-22. The number of suicides per 100,000 children and young people was up 54% over the same period.
Suicide rates were higher around the summer exam period and slightly lower at the start of the academic year, the ONS found.
