Suicide rates have largely improved over the past two decades in Canada, but not among teen girls, according to a recent study.
“So we found that in Canada, most young people have seen stable or even improving suicidal trend over the past two decades,” Seungbin Oh, assistant professor of psychiatry at Boston University, said in a video interview with CTVNews.ca on Tuesday.
“However, Canadian teenager girls are the big exception. Their suicidal rates have continued to climb steadily.”
The rising suicide rate among teen girls and young women in their twenties is a trend occurring in many countries around the world, and it’s especially worse in South Korea, according to the lead author of the study, which was published on Aug. 28 in the Journal of Preventive Medicine.
Oh said research suggests some factors behind the growing suicide rates among teen girls include the “unique pressure” to live up to body image and beauty standards from social media, as well as online bullying.
“There may be also big gaps in the mental care that don’t fully address the need of a young woman or teenager girls,” he added, noting the need for school programs, more accessible mental health care and online safety measures addressing the problem.
Researchers from Boston University’s Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine observed suicide rates among young people aged 10 to 29 in Canada, the United States and South Korea. They relied on national death records from the U.S., Canada and South Korea for data and reviewed every suicide death among young people from 2001 to 2023. They also observed suicide trends and varying patterns by age group and gender.
“Suicide prevention is not ‘one size fits all,’” Oh said in a press release from Sept. 5. “The data emphasizes the importance of sustaining and strengthening prevention. Clinically, this suggests that prevention must be tailored not only by country but also by gender and age group.”
Among the other findings was a reversal in the trend in the United States. After decades of increases, youth suicide rates south of the border were starting to level off or drop in several groups, according to the study. However, researchers found that suicide deaths remain the highest among young men.
Additionally, suicide rates in recent years have sharply climbed among both young men and women in South Korea, according to the study, especially among young women.
If you or someone you know is in crisis, here are some resources that are available.
Canada Suicide Crisis Helpline (Call or text 988)
Crisis Services Canada (1-833-456-4566 or text 45645)
Kids Help Phone (1-800-668-6868)
If you need immediate assistance call 911 or go to the nearest hospital.