Τhe double suicide of two teenagers on Tuesday has shocked the Greek society and raised concern about the issue of mental health of children and adolescents and suicide prevention mechanisms in the country.
“How do two underage girls get to the point of falling together from a rooftop? This question should not leave any society indifferent,” said experts from the Day Center for Suicide Prevention-Suicide Observatory, KLIMAKA-Suicide Intervention Line 1018– who work daily in the field of suicide prevention.
They emphasized that self-destructive behavior is not a “sudden” or incomprehensible reaction.
The available data from the KLIMAKA Suicide Observatory records suicide incidents at very young ages over time. Of particular concern is the fact that already in the first months of 2026 an increase has been recorded in the age group of 15-19 years, which highlights the need to strengthen the mechanisms for prevention, early intervention and support for the mental health of children and adolescents.
Suicides of children and adolescents in Greece: Statistics 2022-2026
- In 2022, 4 children aged 12-14 and 7 children aged 15-19 committed suicide.
- In 2023, 1 child aged 12-14 and 9 children aged 15-19 committed suicide.
- In 2024, 3 children aged 12-14 and 7 children aged 15-19 committed suicide.
- In 2025, 1 child aged 12-14 and 6 children aged 15-19 committed suicide.
- in 2026, 1 child aged 12-14 and 8 children aged 15-19 committed suicide.
Risk factors
“KLIMAKA” pointed out, that suicidality is not a sudden or single-factor event, but a multifactorial and dynamic process with significant genetic components. Particularly in adolescence, mental distress is often not expressed in a way that is immediately recognizable by the environment, while the sense of impasse, emotional dysregulation, isolation and difficulty managing painful experiences may remain invisible until a critical situation occurs that will mobilize their vulnerability.
It emphasizes that in this specific case “we cannot know exactly what happened, nor can we proceed to arbitrary conclusions without comprehensive scientific investigation. What is certain is that such cases highlight the need for timely professional support for children and adolescents who experience serious mental distress.”
The incident raised a crucial question: what makes it so difficult for adolescents to express their mental distress and seek help in a timely manner?
“KLIMAKA” said that “modern scientific knowledge shows that mental vulnerability is not formed in isolation from the environment. On the contrary, the quality of relationships, the sense of security, emotional availability and the existence of supportive frameworks can act as a protective factor against the burden and manifestation of self-destructive behavior, especially in adolescence. In this light, prevention is not only about dealing with the crisis, but also about creating “safe” family, school and social environments that allow the individual to express their mental pain in a timely manner.”
It concluded that “suicide prevention in childhood and adolescence cannot be limited to the ex post management of tragic events. It requires the systematic strengthening of mental health structures for children and adolescents, the education of families and school communities in the early recognition of mental burden, the destigmatization of seeking help and the development of early intervention mechanisms before critical situations arise,” the experts told state-run news agency amna.gr
KLIMAKA Suicide Prevention emergency phone line: 1018
The two teenagers, friends aged 17-years-old, jumped from the rooftop of a 6-storey apartment building on Tuesday. One of the girls succumbed to her injuries on the way to hospital, while the other is struggling heavily injured for her life.
Police leaked to the press the letter one of the girls had written to her parents explaining the reasons for her act. It is indicative of the pressure she felt and saw no future ahead.
PS apart from the scientific approach, many users n social media pointed out at the pressure children and teenagers are exposed to nowadays, the lack of facilities and psychologists at schools. They also stressed at this generation has been exposed to the financial crisis since 2010, the Covid-19 lockdown as well as the current economical situation with the high cost of living and that many families earn so much money to come through only until the 20th of each month.
