The figures are stark and distressing: in Argentina, between April 2023 and April 2025, 15,807 suicide attempts were reported – an average of 22 incidents per day. Of that number, 30 percent occurred within a specific age group: adolescents and young adults aged between 15 and 29, particularly males.
These statistics, compiled and published a few months ago in the epidemiological bulletin issued by Argentina’s Health Ministry, reveal that suicide has already surpassed road traffic accidents as a leading cause of death.
According to information published by Proyecto Suma, a non-profit organisation engaged in mental health support, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over 720,000 people die by suicide each year worldwide. And for every death, there are between 20 and 40 attempts.
Furthermore, the WHO has warned that in recent years, anxiety and depression disorders have risen by 25 percent globally. Over one billion people now live with some form of mental health condition.
As a result, experts state that “suicide is one of the most complex and challenging public health issues for healthcare systems and communities alike. It has profound social, emotional and economic consequences and significantly affects the lives of individuals and families.”
In an effort to address this issue more effectively, the Faculty of Psychology at the University of Buenos Aires (UBA), working with the Buenos Aires City government’s Education Ministry, has developed a new guide for the prevention, detection and management of suicidal behaviour in educational environments.
The document – ‘Guía para la prevención, detección y abordaje de la conducta suicida en el ámbito de la educación’ – says its primary aim “is to support professionals within the Education Ministry’s support teams in the early prevention and detection of warning signs of suicidal risk in school-age children and adolescents and in the implementation of immediate responses within the school environment.”
It begins by noting that “suicide has traditionally been associated with older adults due to risk factors such as serious or chronic illnesses, pain, and hopelessness. However, more recently, adolescent suicide has been on the rise, reaching alarming levels in several regions around the world, and has become a prevalent public health issue.”
“In Argentina, it is now the second leading cause of death among young people,” it warns.
Raising awareness
September 10 marks World Suicide Prevention Day, an initiative launched by the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) with the support of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise awareness of the issue and strengthen community support networks.
According to psychologist Andrea Spinosa, one of the most complex aspects is youth suicide. “This is a growing phenomenon and it raises the question of how adults can step in to support and prevent it,” she explained.
Spinosa pointed out that “this is already the third-most frequent cause of death globally among people aged 15 to 29.”
At a local level, the Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría (“Argentine Society of Paediatrics”) reports that it accounts for around 33 percent of all deaths from external causes in adolescents aged 15 to 19.
Spinosa, who coordinates the child and adolescent mental health team at the private healthcare company Medicus, emphasised that adolescence is a crucial period.
“Teenagers are in a transitional phase from childhood to adulthood, experiencing major biological and emotional changes. It's a time full of life, but also a period of loss – of the childhood body, of relationships with parents, and of many long-held certainties. This process of identity formation offers huge possibilities, but it also brings stress, anxiety, worry, and vulnerability,” said the expert.
Causes and warning signs
Spinosa explained that suicide “is a multi-factorial phenomenon that goes beyond mental illness – a person’s social and cultural environment, their relationships, and emotional resources are all decisive. Adolescence, with its biological, social and emotional changes, can amplify this vulnerability.”
Although every case requires an individualised approach, the psychologist identifies a range of factors that may increase the risk of suicidal behaviour: “Unsupportive family environments, peer conflict, impulsive behaviour, depression, low self-esteem, self-harm, bullying, exposure to distressing experiences on social media and excessive consumption of substances like alcohol and psychoactive drugs, which impair the brain functions responsible for behaviour, thoughts and emotions.”
The expert notes that certain situations constitute high risk, including: “Previous suicide attempts, significant losses, separations or divorces, major changes in the home, a family history of suicide and difficulties expressing sexual orientation in unaccepting or disrespectful environments.”
As for warning signs, Spinosa explains that “these can include a loss of interest in activities that used to be enjoyable, persistent sadness, irritability, withdrawal, anxiety, apathy or fatigue.”
“Changes in sleeping or eating habits, self-destructive behaviour or frequent mentions of death may also appear. Often these changes are subtle, but they must not be overlooked,” she explained.
Prevention strategies
Parental support is vital in this context, underlined Spinosa.
“The care provided by adults and their guidance to help adolescents develop socio-emotional skills – such as interpersonal abilities, self-regulation and ethical decision-making – is crucial,” she said.
She also stressed that it is “essential not to dismiss suicidal thoughts or behaviours as merely attention-seeking or manipulative,” and that “any warning sign should be addressed promptly with a mental health professional.”
Experts emphasise that suicide can be prevented if warning signs are recognised in time – not in every case, but in the majority.
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