The Education and Health Ministries last year opened just over 120 suicide prevention cases in the school population, according to data from both ministries. “The Ministry of Education opened 46 on Ibiza and a couple more on Formentera, which represent 13% and 1% of the total in the Balearic Islands,” explains Nicole Haber, head of the Balearic Suicide Observatory. Another 76 must be added to this that were initiated by CoorEduca Mental Health, the device launched a few years ago by the Balearic Ministry of Health as a result of the needs and requests regarding these issues coming from schools.

Suicide data in the Balearic Islands shows positive impact of work being done

So far, in less than a month of this academic year, two cases have already been opened, says Haber, who stresses that this resource serves not only minors but also those over 18 years old who, for example, are studying Vocational Training. In the case of CoorEduca Salud Mental, half of the cases were referred to the suicide prevention and care team (APS) of the Can Misses Hospital and the other half to the Unidad de Salud Mental Infanto Juveil (Usmij). Although there is no comparative data, Haber recognizes that in recent years with the pandemic, the discomfort and suffering in adolescents has increased as it has in adults and highlights the good work being done in the Balearic Islands. “In 2020, while in Spain deaths by suicide in young people (under 29 years) doubled, here there were none recorded,” explains the expert, who trusts that the national data for 2021 will be published soon. “I am very curious, but the epidemiology services are very late because they are focused on covid statistics.”

Haber stresses that the relationship with schools and institutes and also with youth centers is ongoing. In all cases they have both their email and that of the nurse case manager of CoorEduca Mental Health, where, regardless of the protocols and channels they put in place, they can write to them when they are concerned or have doubts about a student. “We call them right away,” assures the head of the Suicide Observatory. “Sometimes we have put out fires over the phone because the centers do a great job, but they are afraid of not doing it right,” she adds.