One in nine young Scots try to kill themselves

One in nine young adults in Scotland has attempted suicide, according to new research.

The study of 18 to 34-year-olds also found that one in six (16.2%) report having self harmed at some stage in their lives.

Researchers found that 6.5% of the 3,508 young Scots questioned reported having a history of both behaviours.

Experts are calling for those involved in the care of young people to be alert given the prevalence of suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-harm (NSSH).

The report said: “Psychiatrists, psychologists and others involved in the care of young people should be vigilant. Given the prevalence of suicide attempts and NSSH in this age group, they should routinely enquire about history of self-injurious behaviour.”

The study led by Glasgow University found that the first episode of self-harm tended to precede the first suicide attempt by about two years.

Women were found to be significantly more likely to report self-harm and suicide attempts than men.

Researchers found that one in nine (11.3%) of young people report having attempted suicide.

Earlier age at the time of the first episode was associated with more frequent self-harm and suicide attempts. Researchers also found almost one quarter (22.8%) of young people reported having thought about suicide at some stage in their life and 10.4% last thought about suicide in the past 12 months.