B.C. youth suicide report calls for better government trauma care

VICTORIA – British Columbia’s independent children’s representative says the government needs to do a better job understanding the traumatic lives of young people at risk of suicide.

A report released today by Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond says the government needs to learn more about how trauma, turmoil and tragedy impacts the lives of young people at risk of suicide and take steps to offer them more stability.

Turpel-Lafond’s report examined the lives of 15 young people who committed suicide and another 74 who caused themselves self-inflicted injuries.

Of the 89 cases of young people reviewed, 58 were in the care of Ministry of Children and Family Development at the time of their suicide or attempted suicide.

Turpel-Lafond’s report says those 58 youth were moved 776 times while in government care and five of the young people were moved more than 30 times each.

Her report cites research that finds frequent moves can further traumatize already vulnerable young people, leading her to recommend the government develop strategies to limit the number of disruptions experienced by children in government care.