More Quebec teen girls hospitalized for suicidal behaviour in 2021, public health says

Quebec's public health institute says the number of girls aged 15 to 19 who arrived at hospital emergency rooms after attempting to take their own lives rose by 23 per cent from 2020 to 2021.

The Institut national de sant publique du Qubec says, in a report published Monday, there was also an increase in the number of girls age 10 to 14 who used hospital services after suicide attempts or due to suicidal ideation.

Pascale Lvesque, an epidemiologist at the institute and one of the co-authors of the report, says it's possible that teenage girls are more likely than others to be taken to hospital by family members for suicidal behaviours.

She says that while teenage girls are more likely to be hospitalized for suicidal behaviours, they have one of the lowest suicide rates in the province.

The institute says the overall number of suicides in Quebec declined slightly in 2020, when compared with the previous year. However, that data remains preliminary as all suspected suicides must be investigated by a coroner and some investigations remain ongoing.

Lvesque says Quebec's suicide rate peaked in 1999 and appears to have now plateaued after declining for nearly 20 years.

The coroner's office says there were at least 1,016 suicides in Quebec in 2020. Men were three times more likely to take their own lives than women and men aged 50 to 64 had the highest suicide rate.

If you are in crisis or know someone who is, here is where to get help:

• Canada Suicide Prevention Service: 1-833-456-4566 (Phone) | 45645 (Text, 4 p.m. to midnight ET only)crisisservicescanada.ca

• In Quebec (French): Association qubcoise de prvention du suicide: 1-866-APPELLE (1-866-277-3553)

• Kids Help Phone: 1-800-668-6868 (Phone), Live Chat counselling atwww.kidshelpphone.ca

• Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention:Find a 24-hour crisis centre