Unexpected deaths of children and young people in the UK

Paul Stallard1, Michelle Maguire2, Justin Daddow2

  • 1University of Bath.

Bjpsych Bulletin
|April 19, 2016
PubMed

Insights

Many children who died by suicide were not known to mental health services. Improved training and data collection are crucial for preventing child suicide.

Area of Science:

  • Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
  • Public Health
  • Forensic Psychology

Background:

  • Child and youth suicide is a significant public health concern.
  • Understanding the circumstances surrounding these deaths is vital for prevention.
  • Gaps in mental health service engagement are a critical area for investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review child and young person suicides within a specific National Health Service (NHS) trust.
  • To analyze serious incident reports and child death overview panel reviews.
  • To identify trends and risk factors associated with youth suicide.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of serious incident reports.
  • Review of child death overview panel findings.
  • Data extraction on demographics, mental health service contact, and suicide methods.

Main Results:

  • 23 child and young person suicides were identified.
  • Over half (56%) were not known to specialist child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS).
  • Hanging was the most common method (87%), with half being low-level hangings.

Conclusions:

  • Enhanced training is needed for healthcare professionals to recognize and assess at-risk youth.
  • Specialist child mental health services must address hanging attempts and provide appropriate advice.
  • Routine publication of national, age-specific suicide data for children and young people is recommended.

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