Youth suicides have doubled a Coroner’s Court 2023 report reveals

The number of children who have died by suicide has more than doubled, according to an alarming report by the Coroner.

An alarming surge in the number of youth suicides has revealed deaths have more than doubled in a year.

“Troubling” new figures released today by the Coroners Court of Victoria show 13 people under the age of 18 died by suicide in the first three months of 2023.

For the last four years, that figure ranged on average between two and six suicides during the same period.

The sharpest rise in deaths was among boys.

In what has been described as a “worrying increase” in the number of youth suicides across the state, nine boys and four girls, aged between 13 and 17 years old, died between January 1 and March 31.

By this time last year, no boys under 18 years old had died, while two girls had died.

In 2021, two boys and four girls had died.

Youth suicides in the last four years have ranged between 15 and 23 total deaths per year.

State Coroner Judge John Cain said the spike in suicides in the young age bracket was of “great concern” as the drivers behind suicides remained complex.

“We must remember that behind each of these deaths is a unique personal story. For each of the families the loss is immeasurable,” he said.

“The impact of a young person’s suicide on the wider community can also be profound and far-reaching.

“Young people have particularly broad community connections, through their families and friends, schools, sporting clubs and other activities they take part in.”

Mr Cain said the mental health of young Victorians was the responsibility of a community.

“While we work with state and federal government to provide data that informs targeted suicide prevention programs, I urge parents and friends to help our young people stay connected and supported,” he said.

The deaths this year spanned both metropolitan Melbourne and regional Victoria.

All the deaths are currently under investigation, and have not yet been linked by any trends.