Suicide attempts among children and teens rose 77% in Poland last year

The number of attempted suicides and deaths by suicide increased significantly among children in Poland last year, a new report has revealed.

The figures, based on police data for the years 2012-2021, were compiled by “Life is worth a conversation” (Życie warte jest rozmowy), an initiative established by the Polish Association of Suicidology.

They show that last year there were 1,496 suicide attempts by people aged up to 18. That was an increase of 77% from the previous year, when the figure was 736. Meanwhile, the number of those who died by suicide last year, 127, was 19% higher than in 2020.

Number of attempted suicides (blue) and deaths by suicide (red) among people aged under 18 in Poland (source: Życie warte jest rozmowy)

The report also highlights a trend for more girls attempting suicide. In 2020, 538 girls did so, while in 2021 the number more than doubled, reaching 1,086. Attempted suicides among boys is also growing but at a slower pace, with 305 boys trying to take their own life in 2020 and 410 last year.

Among girls, 51 died from suicide last year, up from 41 in 2020. For boys, the figure rose from 66 to 76. This matches figures from across society as a whole, where it is men who died more often from suicide, Halszka Witkowska, the project coordinator, told Notes from Poland.

The number of attempted suicides (left) and deaths by suicide (right) among girls (blue) and boys (red) in 2020 and 2021 (source: Życie warte jest rozmowy)

“However, it is different for attempted suicides,” she added. “It is the women that make attempts more often.” Witkowska noted that suicide attempts are a call for help from the person experiencing a psychological crisis, who sees no other means to draw the attention of the surrounding people.

“These data show that many young people cannot deal with their problems, which were only made worse by the pandemic, and that they are not receiving adequate help from the adults, their parents, teachers and caretakers,” added Witkowska.

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Witkowska called for a rethink of the entire system for supporting young people, starting with not trivialising or doubting their problems and not leaving them on their own.

Polish NGOs and the country’s children’s rights commissioner have repeatedly warned that mental health services for children in Poland are underfunded and understaffed, and often rely on outdated methods of treatment.

Last year, the government announced a new package worth 220 million zloty (€48 million) to support children’s mental health care. The plan includes improvements to hospital infrastructure, the launch of a round-the-clock helpline, online support and prevention programmes, as well as easier access to specialists.

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Yet recently state funding was withdrawn from a helpline for children and youth, which has been operating since 2008. The service has managed to continue operating thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that in total gathered almost 2 million złoty.

The NGO behind the helpline says that young people need support more than ever amid the pandemic. Last year, the calls it received led to 800 interventions.

A recent audit ordered by Poland’s Supreme Audit Office (NIK) noted that remote learning during the pandemic has worsened children’s mental and physical health. NIK criticised the education ministry for not introducing a support programme for children quickly enough.

Record number of suicide attempts by teenagers in Poland

Main image credit: Kelly-Ann Tan on Unsplash

Agnieszka Wądołowska

Agnieszka Wądołowska is deputy editor of Notes from Poland. She has previously worked for Gazeta.pl and Tokfm.pl and contributed to Gazeta Wyborcza, Wysokie Obcasy, Duży Format, Midrasz and Kultura Liberalna