Wednesday October 15, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted at 2:45 pm]
News analysis by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
A report that includes recommendations to reduce deaths by suicide and provide better support young people in British Columbia has been released today by the BC Coroner.
The BC Coroners Service had convened a death-review panel to work on this issue.
“This report contains realistic, actionable recommendations that, when implemented, will improve life for all young British Columbians,” said Ryan Panton, chair of the death-review panel.
“We know that losing a young life to suicide is devastating for friends, families and communities, and these actions will help reduce the risk, while supporting better mental-health outcomes,” said Panton.
Creating Connection, Supporting Strengths:
The report entitled Creating Connection, Supporting Strengths: A Review of Youth and Young Adult Deaths by Suicide In British Columbia, 2019-2023, was created in consultation with subject-matter experts including front-line service providers and experts in youth mental health, injury research and prevention, education and child care, mental health, public health, Indigenous health, law enforcement and suicidology.
Deaths by suicide are preventable, says Coroner:
“I want to thank the panel for its efforts to create recommendations that will create positive change across our province,” said Dr. Jatinder Baidwan, chief coroner.
“Deaths by suicide are preventable, and it is up to all of us to ensure that young people have the support they need, when they need it, to navigate the challenges of life. I am confident that this report will help ensure those supports are available and accessible to all,” said Baidwan in a news release today.
Report time frame:
The panel reviewed the deaths of 435 young people in B.C. who died as a result of suicide between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2023.
Second-most prevalent cause of death:
Suicide is the second most prevalent cause of death among children and youth in BC, and the third-leading cause of death among adults age 19 to 29 years.
Life stressors:
A wide range of life stressors were found to be influences in choosing suicide, including:
- Biopsychosocial factors including trauma or abuse, hopelessness or lack of purpose, aggression impulse.
- Environmental factors including relational or societal issues, chronic family instability, poverty/debt, job or financial loss, legal problems, recent immigration challenges, academic difficulties.
- Sociocultural factors including lack of social support and sense of isolation, being bullied, exposure to others who had committed suicide, barriers to accessing health care.
Mental, physical and emotional well-being:
The panel report includes five recommendations intended to prevent future deaths and improve public health and public safety for youth and young adults in B.C..
“We know that positive mental, physical and emotional well-being is paramount to a healthy and vibrant society,” the Coroner states in the introduction to Creating Connection, Supporting Strengths: A Review of Youth and Young Adult Deaths by Suicide In British Columbia, 2019-2023,
Commentary:
The recommendations do seem to recognize the importance of including youth within society.
However, whether or not our highly systematized mainstream Canadian society provides healthy spaces for youth (or people of any age) is a matter for further debate; seriously high levels of mental distress among people of all ages is clearly a result of the societal ecosystem in which they live — and which in many ways fails them.
The report does identify that 44% of youth and young adults expressed suicidal ideation within the year preceding death — that means there is a time frame for positive intervention. The incidence of expression of suicidal ideation was higher among youth (ages 9 to 18) than young adults (ages 19 to 25), which generally means there is more time and room to intervene (if clues are seen for what they are, and if supports and resources are available).
Five recommendations:
Here are the recommendations:
- 1. Create and implement a provincial suicide-risk-reduction framework specifically focused on youth and young adults.
- 2. Improve data collection, information sharing and reporting processes to better understand and support diverse communities throughout B.C.
- 3. Review existing social and emotional health-related resources to ensure they meet the needs of the diversity of school-age students in B.C.
- 4. Create an educational model to ensure doctors, nurses, paramedics and other emergency medical professionals are appropriately trained in early identification, assessment, management and followup of youth and young adults who are at higher risk of death by suicide.
- 5. Co-develop a “third spaces” strategy to create venues for young people to develop and maintain connections in their own communities.
Support line:
People who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including thoughts of suicide, can call 1 800 SUICIDE (784-2433) at any time.
===== Government links:
- Full report: Creating Connection, Supporting Strengths: A Review of Youth and Young Adult Deaths by Suicide In British Columbia, 2019-2023,
- More about death-review panels
- BC Coroners Service
===== RELATED:
NEWS SECTONS: HEALTH | AGE & GENERATIONS | YOUTH