Suicide rates in children aged 10-14 years worldwide: changes in the past two decades.

BACKGROUND Limited research is focused on suicides in children aged below 15 years. AIMS To analyse worldwide suicide rates in children aged 10-14 years in two decades: 1990-1999 and 2000-2009. METHOD Suicide data for 81 countries or territories were retrieved from the World Health Organization Mortality Database, and population data from the World Bank data-set. RESULTS In the past two decades the suicide rate per 100 000 in boys aged 10-14 years in 81 countries has shown a minor decline (from 1.61 to 1.52) whereas in girls it has shown a slight increase (from 0.85 to 0.94). Although the average rate has not changed significantly, rates have decreased in Europe and increased in South America. The suicide rates remain critical for boys in some former USSR republics. CONCLUSIONS The changes may be related to economic recession and its impact on children from diverse cultural backgrounds, but may also be due to improvements in mortality registration in South America.