The Australian Bureau of Statistics recently released its 2024 Causes of Death report, and the data is once again confronting.
Suicide remains the leading cause of death for young people in Western Australia.
In 2024, 40 young people aged 15–24 died from intentional self-harm in WA - accounting for 28.4% of all deaths in this age group, down from 36.5% in 2023.
Devastatingly, 80% of the young people who died by suicide were male, a stark reminder that we still have so much to do to encourage and support young men to reach out for help when they are struggling.
While these statistics give us the numbers, they don’t reveal the full picture. Each death by suicide affects approximately 135 people, from family members, friends, colleagues, and the wider community. And research shows that for every death of a young person by suicide, there are over 100 suicide attempts.
Suicide is complex, and while there are no easy solutions, access to support and services early can prevent mental health challenges from escalating to crisis point, or from becoming more complex, long-term mental illness. At Youth Focus we exist so that young people have somewhere to turn when they need help – at no cost, and without the need for a medical referral.
As a community, we all have a role to play. What can we do? Start the conversation. Check in with the people we care about. Listen openly and without judgement. Connect them to services.
If a young person in your life needs mental health support, we’re here for them. We provide counselling and other supports from locations across WA, as well as telehealth and online support. Find out more about our services here.
For urgent or crisis services, call:
- Lifeline – 13 11 14
- Beyond Blue – 1300 224 636
- Kids Helpline – 1800 55 1800
- 13 YARN – 13 92 76 (for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples)
