65% of student suicides are teenagers: study

A study by the Aachol Foundation found that teenagers (aged 13–19) accounted for 65.7% of the 310 students who died by suicide in 2024.

The results were released yesterday during a virtual press conference titled “Student Suicides in 2024: The Need for Collective Action.”

The study shows that the number of suicides in 2023 was 513 and in 2022 – 532.

However, Aachol said there may have been less media attention due to political unrest in 2024 (July Uprising).

The study was prepared on the basis of data published in 105 national newspapers.

The study found that last year the highest suicide rate was among 13-19-year-olds, who accounted for 65.7% of deaths. Of the deaths, children aged 1-12 years account for 7.4%, people aged 20-25 years – 24%. The lowest rates were recorded among people aged 26-30 (2.9%).

Women accounted for 61% of the deaths, and 38.4% were men. Female students were particularly identified as being at higher risk and having a greater need for mental health support.

The study found that most suicides occurred among high school students (over 46% of the total), followed by high school students (19.4%).

There has also been a growing trend of suicides among students.

Additionally, the number of suicides among students in 2024 was also important.

The study further showed that Dhaka district had the highest suicide rate last year (29 per cent), followed by Khulna and Chattogram districts. The lowest rate was recorded in Sylhet division.

Professor Jamal Uddin from the Department of Statistics at Shahjalal University of Science and Technology cited students’ lack of awareness about mental health as the reason.

He pushed for the introduction of mental health services in universities and teacher training in schools and colleges to address the mental well-being of students.

Dr. Sayedul Islam from Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University emphasized the importance of teaching young people how to cope with failure, noting that while success is celebrated, failure is often stigmatized. He advised parents to carefully monitor their children’s mental health.

Tansen Rose, founder of the Aachol Foundation, and lawyer Nawfel Zamir also spoke at the virtual press conference, emphasizing the urgent need for concerted efforts to address the alarming rise in student suicides.