Suicide among youth and young adults in Canada: Bereaved parents’ perspectives on the systems of care
Kourgiantakis, T., Cooper, D., Cooper, D., Craig, S., Lee, E., Jones, J., Lau, C. K. Y., Tousignant, R.-N., Singer, J. B., Johnstone, M., & Zaheer, J. (2025). Suicide among youth and young adults in Canada: bereaved parents’ perspectives on the systems of care. International Journal of Mental Health Systems, 19, Article 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13033-025-00680-y
Background
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among Canadian youth aged 15–24.
Nearly half of youth who die by suicide visit an emergency department in the year prior, but up to 90% have untreated mental health or substance use concerns.
Parents often describe youth mental health services as fragmented, inaccessible, and harmful.
Gaps remain in understanding how systems of care engage with youth before suicide; parents’ perspectives are essential for identifying systemic failures and prevention opportunities.
Study Description
A qualitative study examined how bereaved parents in Ontario, Canada, described the systems of care that engaged with their children prior to suicide.
The study included 17 parents (12 mothers, 5 fathers) of youth and young adults aged 12–29 (M = 18) who had died by suicide. Youth represented a range of genders, sexual orientations, and mental health diagnoses.
Participants were recruited through Bereaved Families of Ontario, distress centres, and social media. Eligibility criteria required that parents reside in Ontario and be able to reflect on their youth’s interactions with mental health and social care systems.
Data collection involved:
A 21-item sociodemographic survey.
Semi-structured virtual interviews (approximately 90 minutes each) using a grief-informed guide.
Questions covered youth mental health/addiction concerns, experiences with services, involvement of other systems of care (e.g., schools, community, faith-based), and recommendations for improvement.
Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, de-identified, and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). Coding was double-checked by multiple researchers, with discrepancies resolved through team discussion and reflexive memoing.
Rigor was enhanced through triangulation, peer debriefing, an audit trail, and detailed documentation to strengthen credibility, dependability, and confirmability.
Unique Findings
Eight key themes were constructed to describe parents’ perspectives on system failures:
Barriers to accessing services – long waitlists, restrictive eligibility, lack of residential/inpatient care.
Gaps in continuity and coordination – poor transitions between hospital and community care, fragmented “islands” of services.
Absence of consistent guidelines – inconsistent assessments, inadequate risk evaluations, minimal or absent safety planning.
Inconsistent quality of care – dismissive, stigmatizing, and sometimes punitive interactions; unwelcoming hospital environments.
Inadequate training of providers – lack of suicide prevention skills, poor understanding of complex youth needs.
Insufficient involvement of parents/caregivers – exclusion from treatment planning despite being primary supports; confidentiality used as a barrier.
Limited psychoeducation – little to no information for youth and families on diagnoses, treatments, or medications.
Bullying, racism, and discrimination – widespread experiences in schools, healthcare, and community; lack of accountability or systemic response.
Conclusions
Youth who died by suicide often had complex mental health and addiction needs, but systems of care failed to provide accessible, coordinated, and compassionate services.
Parents highlighted systemic fragmentation, inadequate training, exclusion from care, and structural discrimination.
Findings underscore the urgent need for a systems of care approach: integrated, family-centered, culturally responsive, and supported by clear guidelines.
Canada’s first National Suicide Prevention Action Plan (2024–2027) represents progress, but meaningful impact depends on strong political will, funding, cross-sector collaboration, and accountability.
Parents’ voices point to redesigning youth mental health care with compassion, continuity, and inclusivity at its core.
