Suicide is one of the leading causes of death among young people worldwide. The ARCH Lab recently published a paper titled “Morbidity, Suicidal Ideation and Suicide Attempts Among Youth in Canada: A Nationally-Representative Study“, examining how common suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts are among youth aged 15 to 17, especially those dealing with physical illnesses, mental health issues, or developmental disorders like ADHD or autism.
Researchers used data from nearly 7,000 teens who participated in a national health survey in 2019. They grouped the youth based on their health conditions: no illness, physical illness only, mental illness only, developmental disorder only, or a combination of these (called “multimorbidity”).
The study found that suicidal thoughts and attempts were most common among teens with mental health issues or multiple health problems. For example, 32% of youth with only mental illness had thought about suicide in the past year, and 18% had attempted it. Similarly, among those with multiple health issues, 28% had suicidal thoughts and 19% had attempted suicide.
The risk of suicide attempts was especially high for youth with multiple health conditions—over five times higher than for those with no health issues. The study also found that girls, transgender youth, and those who identified as non-heterosexual were more likely to report suicidal thoughts or attempts.
These findings highlight the urgent need for better, more integrated healthcare that addresses both physical and mental health—especially for youth dealing with more than one health issue. The researchers call for more studies to understand why these risks are higher and how to better support vulnerable youth.
