Can J Psychiatry. 2026 Sep 3:7067437261480922. doi: 10.1177/07067437261480922. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
ObjectivePrior research in Canada had only assessed suicide mortality rates through 2018, meaning that suicide trends during and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic are unknown. Thus, this study aimed to extend previous literature by characterizing trends of age- and sex-specific suicide mortality from 2000 to 2024.MethodsYearly rates of suicide in Canada were generated from 2000 to 2024 in overall, age- (by five-year age categorizations) and sex-stratified groups. Joinpoint regression analysis was then employed to determine annual percent change (APC) of defined trendlines, and nodes at which the direction or slope of the trendline changed (joinpoints).ResultsOverall rates of suicide in Canada have significantly declined from 2018 to 2024 by an APC of -4.85 (95% CI: -6.26, -3.68; p = 0.002). Most male age groups under 40 years of age saw significantly declining trends from 2018 to 2024. For example, males aged 15-19 years had an annual percent decline of 8.37 percentage points from 2018 to 2024 (95% CI: -17.86, -3.52; p = 0.01). However, females aged 10 to 14 years saw a significant increase of 2.40 percentage points per year (95%CI: 0.72, 4.39; p = 0.007) from 2000 to 2024, while 25-29-year-old females had an annual increase of 1.85 percentage points (95%CI: 1.00, 2.85; p < 0.001) during this same time. No other age/sex groups had significantly increasing trends through 2024.ConclusionsOverall trends and many Canadian age and sex groups have seen declining rates of suicide mortality beginning in 2018, though some young female groups have continued to have increasing rates of suicide from 2000 to 2024. Future literature should look to determine whether these changing suicide trends relate to changing patterns of mental disorder, particularly in young females, or whether other characteristics may better explain the different trends in suicide observed across distinct age and sex groups.
PMID:42693521 | DOI:10.1177/07067437261480922
