National investigation into suicide in children and young people
Research type
Research Study
Full title
National investigation into suicide in children and young people
IRAS ID
159134
Contact name
Lynne McCrae
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Z6787610, University of Manchester Data Protection; 8D594/ECC0020 , NHS Information Governance Toolkit
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 11 months, 31 days
Research summary
Suicide rates in children are low compared to other age groups. However, there are important reasons for regarding a study of suicides in this group as a priority. Firstly, they are of major public interest, particularly when they appear to occur in clusters or to follow a “copycat” pattern. Secondly, public concern over child suicide often focuses on the role of internet sites or social media, but there is relatively little information on the part these factors play. Thirdly, suicide is one of the main causes of mortality in young people. Fourthly, although there are relatively few suicides in young teenagers, suicide rates are age-dependent and the numbers increase markedly into the late teens and early 20s. Inquiry data show that 60-70 suicides occur per year in people aged under 18, 150-160 in those aged under 20, and 500 per year in those aged 25 and under. There is, however, no current national investigative process focussing specifically on suicide in children and young people and no system nationally for reporting suicide trends or recommending priorities for prevention specifically in this age group. A multi agency designed study combining available sources of information on cases of suicide and probable suicide (open verdict) in those aged 20 and under would provide the depth and range of information at an individual level not yet available. Data will be analysed from a range of health and non-health sources including coroners inquest reports, Serious Case Reviews, CDOP files, NHS investigations into Serious Untoward Incidents, fatal investigation reports by the Prisons and Probation Ombudsman, Independent Police Complaints Commission reports, and Inquiry data on those in contact with mental health services. Data will be extracted from these sources onto a standardised database for aggregated analysis. An annual report on numbers, trends, antecedents and messages for prevention is proposed.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester South Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0184
Date of REC Opinion
23 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion