Male teens four times more prone to suicide

Boys aged 16-20 are four times more likely to take their own lives than older people, a major study on suicide in Ireland has found.

The research, which examined 12,000 suicides in Ireland and Britain, claims there is a “highly significant” risk associated with older male teenagers which has not been recognised in suicide prevention programmes.

The report, by Kevin Malone of UCD’s School of Medicine & Medical Science, revealed that up to 50% of all under-18 suicides may be part of a cluster.