One in four young Catalans has self-harmed in the last year

BarcelonaOne of the many lessons learned from the Covid-19 pandemic is the need to care for and protect the mental health of young people, as their emotional distress has increased since the outbreak of the coronavirus six years ago. Although there is growing awareness of this problem and, consequently, more public resources are being allocated to address it, the data shows that there are still issues. a high number of Catalan students who continue to sufferBetween 2024 and 2025, for example, 30.6% of students aged 16 to 22 in Catalonia had suicidal thoughts; that is, almost a third had thought about suicide, considered it, or even planned it. Furthermore, one in four (25.9%) self-harmed, and one in ten (10.6%) attempted suicide.

These are the conclusions of the study Suicidal behaviors among young students in Catalonia: risk and protective factorsThe study, conducted by the Social Observatory of the La Caixa Foundation in collaboration with researchers from the San Juan de Dios Health Park and the SJD Research Institute, involved a total of 3,159 young people, including high school, vocational training, adult education, and university students from Catalonia. "In the last four years, we've seen an increase from 3.9% to 14.3% of hospital admissions for mental health problems among 10- to 19-year-olds," explains Regina Vila, the study's lead researcher and a postdoctoral psychologist. It's important to note that these problems don't affect all young people equally, so prevention policies should target higher-risk groups, such as girls, who exhibit higher levels of suicidal ideation, self-harm, anxiety, depression, and feelings of loneliness than boys. For example, both suicidal ideation and self-harm are between 10% and 19% higher in girls, according to the study's findings. The authors believe these differences between boys and girls explain why girls experience more sexual and emotional abuse and feel more alone than boys.

The Importance of Support

In 2024, 547 people died by suicide in Catalonia, according to data published by the National Institute of Statistics (INE), 53 of whom were young people between the ages of 15 and 29. Although this figure has decreased compared to 2023—when 66 suicides among young people were recorded—the authors of the study warn that the indicators related to suicidal behavior in this age group are worrying. Behind this distress lie various causes, such as bullying, parental separation, and exposure to gender-based violence. The young people surveyed also spoke of difficult family situations, such as financial difficulties at home and the loss of a loved one. Regarding gender differences, the women surveyed reported less social support, less resilience, and lower life satisfaction compared to the men.

The study also analyzed the influence of social media and concluded that, although not a direct trigger, problematic use can intensify emotional distress when it is already present. Even so, only 4.1% of young people consider themselves to have problematic use of social media, 51.7% confirm that they watch or have watched pornography, and 17.4% gamble. Therefore, the authors insist that Social support is a "key" element in reducing the risk of suicidal behavior and emotional distress in young peopleAccording to the study results, this social support is significantly lower in young people who have had suicidal thoughts or who have attempted suicide, 11% and 17% lower, respectively, compared to those who have not.