More and more children are calling Childline with suicidal thoughts, leading to a huge rise in referrals. Back in 2007/8, only 2% of Childline’s 176,185 counselling sessions were about suicidal thoughts. By 2018/19, this had risen to 10% of the 251,481 sessions they provided.¹ That’s an increase of over 600%.

Girls, in particular, have been more proactive in seeking help, accounting for a significant majority of these counselling sessions. But while more girls are reaching out to Childline for support, actual suicide rates remain much higher among boys (See Chart 8 in this section), suggesting they need targeted mental health support.

One positive insight that emerges from this data is that seeking support appears to make a difference. Despite the huge increase in referrals and counselling sessions, suicide rates have remained relatively stable. This suggests that interventions and support systems are having a positive impact on the lives of these young individuals.