Warning: this story makes reference to suicide

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.”

Suicide rates for Canadian female adolescents aged 10 to 19 climbed about two per cent each year from 2001 to 2023, according to a study that was published in the Journal of Preventive Medicine on Aug. 28.

However, the rates dropped less than one per cent yearly for boys of the same age group during the same period.

“That may sound small, but when you add it up year after year, it becomes a meaningful and concerning upward trend,” Oh said about the rates for female adolescents.

In comparison, the study found that the rates for U.S. female adolescents increased about 3.4 per cent yearly over two decades, swelling to about eight per cent between 2008 and 2017 before falling. Boys’ rates were climbing until they declined nearly three per cent from 2017 to 2023.

In South Korea, rates for female adolescents notably grew between 2015 and 2023 to nearly 11 per cent while the rates for boys rose about five per cent yearly during that period.

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 Oh.

Researchers from Boston University’s Cshobanian 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.

Researchers also observed suicide trends and varying patterns by age group and gender.

Canada, the United States and South Korea “exhibited concerning upward trends” in youth suicide rates in general, compared to the rest of the world, according to the study.

What’s behind the growing suicide rates among youth?

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.

“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.