Suicide is the third leading cause of death among 15- to 29-year-olds. Tomorrow is World Suicide Prevention Day

In Italia, among young people aged between 15 and 29, suicide is the third leading cause of death after road traffic accidents and cancer; amongst males, it is the second leading cause. Preventing self-harm and suicide attempts amongst children, adolescents and young people “means, first and foremost, intervening before suffering becomes a crisis”, by creating environments that support neuropsychological wellbeing, “promptly recognising situations of vulnerability and making it easier to ask for help”, without fear of being stigmatised. This is the message highlighted this year by World Suicide Prevention Day (10 September), whose theme is ‘Changing the narrative around suicide’.

A call to overcome the culture of silence and prejudice in order to promote greater openness, understanding and support. And this is precisely what will be discussed tomorrow in Genoa at the conference jointly organised by Sinpia (Italian Society of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry), the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital in Rome, the IRCCS Giannina Gaslini Institute in Genoa and the University of Naples Federico II. The scientific meeting will bring together national experts to examine risk and protective factors, the early identification of those at risk, the management of crisis situations, and pathways for care between hospitals and the local community. This is a necessary discussion, particularly in light of the hidden extent of the problem.

Another significant phenomenon – though one that is difficult to quantify – is that of unsuccessful attempts, which requires “careful preventative work, which is essential for the future of young people and families across the country”. Whilst it remains a rare occurrence in early childhood, thoughts of death, suicidal ideation and self-harming behaviour can already appear during school-age years and represent important indicators of vulnerability that should not be underestimated.

“Prevention is the most effective tool for combating suicidal behaviour, which develops through the interaction between biological vulnerabilities, emotional and relational factors, and environmental factors,” emphasises Sinpia president Elisa Fazzi, former full professor at the University of Brescia and foreign corresponding member of the French Academy of Medicine. “We must learn to take action by promoting neuropsychiatric health from the earliest stages of life, strengthening all emotional and relational regulation skills, and creating a network of adults around children and adolescents who are able to listen and recognise the warning signs, both within the family and in society. Talking about neuropsychiatric wellbeing and asking for help must become normal behaviours, not something to be ashamed of.”

“The rise in requests for help is also evident from the clinical experience of the Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital,” says Stefano Vicari, head of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry at the hospital and full professor of Child Neuropsychiatry at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart - The number of neuropsychiatric consultations carried out in A&E has risen from 155 in 2011 to 1,675 in 2025. Over the same period, admissions for self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempted suicide rose from 12 to 445”.