The number of child suicides in Jalisco has doubled since 2010, newly released figures reveal.
In 2010, ten children aged 10 to 14 committed suicide, while the following year, 20 young persons in the same age group took their own lives. The suicide rate has remained high in 2012, with nine children taking their own lives between January and July.
Stress from domestic violence, sexual abuse or bullying is considered the most common cause of suicide among young people in Mexico, said Daniel Ojeda Torres, director of the Jalisco Institute of Mental Health (SALME), ahead of the World Day for Prevention of Suicide on September 10.It remains unclear why the rate has suddenly risen so sharply among local children, as these causes are hardly new phenomenons.
The suicide rate among those over 85 years old also rose remarkably, from 2.22 cases per 100,000 Jalisco inhabitants in 2010 to 6.55 in 2011.
To aid suicide prevention, the Jalisco Ministry of Health (SSJ) and SALME are to run a course entitled “Suicide Risk: Classification and Intervention” from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 8 in the Roberto Mendiola Orta auditorium on Sierra Mojada 950. Entry is free.