Suicide remains leading cause of death among young Australians
New data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) on causes of death shows suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people aged 15 to 24 years. Nearly twice as many young men aged 15 to 24 years died by suicide in 2012 than young women, and young men's rate of suicide remained stubbornly stable between 2007 and 2012.
Importantly, the data uncovered a concerning increase in suicide by young women aged 15 to 19, flagging a need for further investigation. Despite an overall reduction in the rate of youth suicide in Australia since 1997, this is the first serious indication of an upward trend in youth suicide in recent years.
After 16 years of delivering ReachOut.com we know the life-saving benefits of early intervention for youth mental health. Our challenge now lies in improving awareness and access to that help for many more young Australians.
Australia's mental health sector works tirelessly to provide help to those who ask for it, but if we are to achieve a significant reduction in youth suicide rates we must reach young people earlier.
