Boys Less Likely Than Girls To Seek Help Over Suicidal Thoughts - NSPCC

Boys in Northern Ireland are less likely to look for help if they are feeling suicidal compared to girls, according to the NSPCC.

The charity said girls contacted them twice as often as boys, despite twice as many boys aged between 10-19 died by suicide than girls in 2015.

Head of NSPCC for Northern Ireland, Neil Anderson, said: "We need to see a greater focus on children and young people when looking at how we can tackle the issues around suicide in Northern Ireland.

"Children need to be able to access the services they need, when they need them most.

"Children struggling with suicidal feelings can often feel alone with nobody to talk to and nowhere to turn for help. For boys in particular it can be harder to ask for help due to reluctance to talk about their feelings, and this is highlighted by the fact that girls across Northern Ireland were over twice as likely to contact Childline for help on the issue than boys."

The NSPCC is calling for the Stormont Department of Health's suicide prevention strategy to have a greater focus on children and young people.

The charity also wants to see increased investment to address the lack of specialised mental health services for children across Northern Ireland and is urging the department to promote Childline as a support network for young people to try to tackle the issues of self-harm and suicide.

(CD)