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Spain’s Youth Suicide Crisis Prompts Push for National Data Reform and Psychological Autopsies

Experts warn fragmented systems are failing to meet surging adolescent mental-health needs.

Overview

  • Specialists interviewed by ABC say Spain lacks a National Suicide Observatory and urge legal changes to allow psychological autopsies to generate timely, comparable insights for prevention.
  • Recent deaths and attempted suicides in Andalucía have triggered school protocols, yet officials report limited effectiveness, insufficient training and patchy coordination between health, education and social services.
  • Argentina’s Health Ministry and UNICEF report about one adolescent suicide per day, making it the second leading cause of death for ages 10–19, with authorities framing it as a multidimensional problem.
  • Fundación ANAR reports 5,153 calls from minors with suicidal thoughts in the latest period, including 1,124 during an attempt, underscoring unmet demand for crisis support.
  • Frontline clinicians cite digital harassment, isolation and self-harm as escalating risks, note reports of youths seeking help from AI tools, and emphasize that directly asking about suicidal thoughts can prevent harm.