Russia takes the lead on youth suicide in Europe

Russia holds the first place in Europe on the number of suicides among children and adolescents, officials with Rospotrebnadzor federal service said Monday. According to the department, the number of child suicides and attempted suicides has increased by 35-37 percent during the recent years.

From 1990 to 2010, there were about 800,000 suicides registered in Russia. By 2020, suicides may come second on the list of most widely-spread causes of death in the world, beating cancer and giving way only to cardiovascular diseases.

According to statistics, as many as 3,000 people in the world commit suicide on a daily basis. In annual terms, the number of such cases nears one million people. In addition, the statistics points out the rise of youth suicide. According to recent studies, 1,379 young men and 369 young women aged 15 to 19 years, committed suicide in Russia in 2009.

The highest frequency of suicide is observed among adolescents and young adults aged 15 to 35 years. This category of suicides has 200 failed suicide attempts per one lethal outcome.

In situations, where the reason for suicide is determined for certain, statistics show that tragedies are largely based on conflicts with parents or unrequited love. According to researchers, cases of "mass suicide" have become more frequent recently. More and more people commit suicide by jumping from the roofs or windows of high-rise buildings.

It was established that only ten percent of adolescents have a true desire to commit suicide, whereas the remaining 90 percent of cases are "a cry for help." Very often, suicidal actions of adolescents are demonstrative in their character and are made in the form of "suicide blackmail."