Peer-reviewed article
Sociodemographic differences in the risk of suicides in children and young people: a population level linked study in England, 2011 to 2022.
Sharland E, Mullis R, John E, Ward IL, Rodway C et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study examined suicide deaths in children and young people aged 10-17 in England between 2011 and 2022 using linked census and death registration data covering 7.7 million children. The researchers found that suicide risk was lower in females than males, higher in children from Mixed or Multiple ethnic backgrounds, and unexpectedly higher when the household reference person had a degree-level education. The findings highlight that some risk factors differ between children and adults, with better-educated parents being associated with increased suicide risk in young people.
Key points
- Suicide rate was lowest in females compared with males (IRR=0.6)
- Children from Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups had highest risk (IRR=1.5) compared with White children
- Increased risk of suicide where the household reference person had degree-level or above education (IRR=1.5) compared with no qualifications
- Some protective factors for adults, including parental employment and education, increase suicide risk in children at household level
- Children living in households with better-educated parents identified as a key at-risk group
Limitations
This is an observational study examining associations rather than causes, so it cannot determine why better-educated households show higher suicide risk. The study cannot explain the mechanisms behind these sociodemographic differences or identify protective factors within families.
Abstract
Background Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in children and young people (CYP) globally. Over the past decade, there has been a steady increase in the number of suicide deaths in CYP in the UK. This study aims to identify sociodemographic differences in the risk of suicide in CYP. Methods Using linked 2011 Census and death registrations data, we created a cohort of 7 747 345 CYP aged 10 to 17 years in England. We estimated adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRRs) using generalised linear models with a Poisson link function, to identify sociodemographic characteristics associated with death by suicide in CYP. Results The rate of suicide was lowest in females compared with males (IRR=0.6, 95% CI 0.5 to 0.7) and highest in CYP of Mixed or Multiple ethnic groups (IRR=1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 2.0) compared with those who were White. We also found an increased risk of suicide where the household reference person's (HRPs) highest level of education was a degree-level or above qualification (IRR=1.5, 95% CI 1.1 to 1.9) compared with households where the HRP had no qualifications. Conclusion We found some similar risk factors in CYP as have been found for adults, including being male and from a Mixed or Multiple ethnic group; however, some, which are protective in adults, including employment status and education, increase the risk of suicide in CYP at the household level. Our findings suggest CYP living in households with better educated parents may be a key group at risk of dying by suicide in England.