Child suicide: a drama that requires maximum attention

Strengthening prevention and care as much as possible is the only way to reverse the worrying growth in suicides among children and adolescents. Depression, anxiety, suffering an unfavorable event or prolonged stress, as well as substance abuse, are some of the factors that increase the risk. And, as we point out today in Papel, the pressure exerted by society on young people, visible in the networks, may be subjecting them to an additional risk.

According to

the National Institute of Statistics (INE), in 2021 were registered

in ages between 15 and 19, far from the minimum of 28 observed in 2010. Among children, unfortunately, the problem also exists: in 2021, 22 children between the ages of 10 and 14 died from this cause, a figure that, between 2008 and 2015, never exceeded 10, and reached a minimum of two in 2011.

The abusive use of networks, the

And a sometimes unattainable yearning for excellence is leaving many young people at risk. In fact, other countries have also sounded the alarm. In January 2020, a study published in

warned that in the US

in the last decade, and that were concentrated mainly in the regions with greater poverty. However, this is a real public health problem that can affect anyone.

Recent cases such as that of Sallent's twins, who jumped from a third floor, have placed the spotlight on this problem. After a period of silence, in which the political class and the media struggled to avoid this news, the data have highlighted the need to reconsider that decision. In Spain,

They often respond to an impulsive reaction and have no intention of dying. Hence the importance of accompanying them so that the pain does not overwhelm them.

At the same time, specialists continue to accumulate knowledge and experience, but the tools at their disposal need to reach the young people who need them. Beyond statistics, each death causes unimaginable pain, as shown by

, who took his own life in 2021, aged just 14. His family suspects negligence and is still struggling to clarify what happened.

Promoting prevention programs and protocols, providing professionals with means and making help reach everyone are

. It is a task that corresponds to all of us and in whose success or failure will be reflected the quality of life of a society, as well as the pain of many families.