Suicide, Mental Health, Brain Development, and the Importance of Spotting Problems Early

When we think about illness and health, we usually think of cancer, heart disease, strokes, or AIDS and that’s important. But as we learn more about how to prevent and treat many health problems, we need to include mental health issues and brain development problems. Doing this could save many lives, especially among young people who are most at risk.

Advances in Medical Science: What We Can Achieve

- Leukemia (a type of blood cancer): Used to be almost always deadly for children, but now many survive thanks to new treatments and early diagnosis.

- Heart disease: Deaths have dropped by about 63% over recent decades thanks to better medicines, prevention, and procedures.

- AIDS: What was once a deadly disease is now manageable for many people.

- Stroke: Getting treatment within about 3 hours can greatly improve chances of survival, often by 30% or more.

These successes show how important early detection and quick treatment are. We need to have the same sense of urgency when it comes to brain health.

Hidden Struggles: ADHD and Autism

ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Not rare.

In the UK:

- Around 2.5 million people have ADHD, whether diagnosed or not.

- About 741,000 are children or young people aged 5–24.

- Many more likely have it but haven’t been diagnosed, estimates suggest around 3 million in total. That’s roughly 5% of children worldwide and 3-4% of UK adults.

- However, very few actually have an official diagnosis. For example, only about 0.3% of people in general practice records have it noted, meaning most aren’t diagnosed even if they have it.

- Many teenagers with undiagnosed ADHD struggle with low confidence, school problems, anxiety, impulsive behaviours, drug use, or even thoughts of suicide.

Autism and Suicide Risk

- About 1% of people in the UK are autistic. (according to statistics)

- Among those hospitalised after a suicide attempt, up to 15% have autism, much higher than expected.

- Many autistic adults think about or attempt suicide at much higher rates than non-autistic adults.

- Research shows autistic people are up to 8 times more likely to die by suicide, especially if they also have ADHD.

- These facts highlight that autism isn’t just a ‘difference’, ignoring or not supporting autistic individuals can be deadly.

The Current Problem: Waiting for Problems to Show

- Right now, we tend to wait until troubling behaviours appear, like school troubles, self- harm, or crises, before we diagnose or intervene.

- By then, the brain has often changed significantly, and chances for easier help are lost.

- Brain changes often happen before any behaviours appear. If we look for early signs through brain scans, family history, or early patterns, we might catch problems before they become serious.

- Early screening for ADHD and autism, using simple tests or family info, can give kids the support they need to stay on a better path.

The Stakes in the UK: Deaths and Damage

- In 2023, over 7,000 people in the UK died by suicide, about 19 each day.

- Many of these people had recent contact with mental health services, showing missed chances for early help.

- Mental health and brain development disorders, like ADHD, autism, depression, and anxiety, cause a big part of the health problems and suffering in young people, but are often overlooked because they’re not always visible.

- By the time someone tries to harm themselves, it’s often too late for early help.

A New Approach: Treating Brain Health as Public Health

If we truly want to prevent serious problems, we must treat mental health and brain development issues as a priority for society.

This means:

- Creating regular screening and test systems in schools, clinics, and youth programs.

- Investing in research to find early signs of brain differences.

- Understanding these issues as brain-based health problems, not moral failings.

- Providing help early, before crises happen.

- Reducing stigma so families feel comfortable seeking help sooner.

We’ve seen what science can do for cancer, heart disease, AIDS, and strokes. Why are mental health and brain development still overlooked? The cost of inaction is too high, lives lost, potential wasted, and long-term suffering endured.

By acting early, with care and scientific understanding, we can improve the mental health of young people and give them better chances for a healthy, fulfilling life.