Exam pressure and relationship breakdowns linked to suicide among young people

A quarter of young people in England whose deaths were considered in report expressed suicidal thoughts in week before they died

School bullying and the pressures of exams contribute to suicides among young people (Rex Features)

More than half of young people who committed suicide between January and April last year suffered school pressures and bullying and had previously self-harmed, a report has found.

A quarter of the 130 children and young people in England whose deaths were considered in a major new report into suicide in people aged under 20 expressed suicidal thoughts in the week before they died.

Among the themes noted by academics based at the University of Manchester were also bereavement and physical illness​.

In total 145 young people died by suicide and researchers for the university's National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness (NCISH) looked at information in relation to 130 of those cases.

The majority - 70 per cent - of those who died were male, 66 were aged between 10 and 17, five of them were younger than 14, and suicide rates were found to rise sharply in older teenagers.

Those behind the report said a death by suicide was often not down to one single cause, and could come after a build-up of different stresses.

Professor Louis Appleby, director of the inquiry, said: "There are often family problems such as drug misuse or domestic violence and more recent stresses such as bullying or bereavement, leading to a 'final straw' factor such as an exam or relationship breakdown."

The internet was a feature in some cases, researchers said, noting that there were instances of people expressing suicidal thoughts on social media and some people had been victims of online bullying.

The report, the first stage in a UK-wide analysis of suicides in people aged under 25, identified warning signs in some cases and highlighted the need for the provision of proper support, the Samaritans said.

The charity's head of external affairs Jacqui Morrissey said: "From the report, Samaritans is concerned that in the majority of cases there were clear warning signs that the young person was struggling to cope."

She added: "The message is clear, we need to make sure that the right support is in place for all young people, that all parents, carers and teachers understand about suicide risk and that young people are equipped to look after their emotional well-being before life's pressures become overwhelming."

Additional reporting by Press Association