"We will find out why these people took their own lives - as far as possible. But we are also humbled by the fact that we cannot always get an answer to the question," says Lennie Lindberg, head of the department for living conditions and mental health at the authority.
The authority was tasked with establishing the new unit by the government after the Riksdag passed a new law on suicide investigations. The new law came into force on 2 July.
A puzzle
The hope is to learn over time which factors may indicate that society has failed when a young person dies by suicide.
"It will be like putting together a puzzle. Every suicide is one too many. Hopefully, our work will help provide answers to questions that have not been answered before and, in the long run, mean that we may understand even better and be able to prevent even more suicides among children," says Lindberg.
On average, about 20 children die by suicide per year – sometimes more, sometimes fewer. The number has remained fairly stable over the past ten years, according to Lennie Lindberg.
The trends should be interpreted with caution, especially among children and young people because the absolute number of suicides is so low in this particular age group, he says.
The Public Health Agency's new assignment also applies retroactively, which means that the agency will investigate children who have died by suicide from January 1, 2026.
What will trigger the investigations is that we receive a signal from the Swedish Board of Forensic Medicine about a death or suspected death by suicide - then our investigation will start, he explains.
Identify patterns
Information will be collected from public actors such as healthcare, social services, police and schools. The data will then be analyzed.
By compiling the individual investigations, it is hoped to identify patterns, risk factors and preventive measures.
The investigations will help us see if, for example, there have been shortcomings in the cooperation between different actors in society, says Lennie Lindberg.
The investigations can take time. Many of the children may have moved several times, had many contacts in, for example, the health care system, attended different schools with different principals, and lived in several municipalities.
We will also offer relatives the opportunity to meet with us. People who work with us will have the skills to meet people in difficult life stages, such as when someone takes their own life.
The operation has so far recruited ten out of a total of 15 people who will work on investigations into child suicide.
In emergencies or if you have thoughts of suicide, always call 112.
This is where you can turn if you feel unwell:
Mind.se.
Suicide Zero – suicidezero.se.
Spes – National Association for Suicide Prevention and Survivor Support. spes.se.
Bris – children's rights in society. bris.se.
Save the Children – raddabarnen.se. Also for parents.
Alcoholics Anonymous – aa.se.
On-call buddy – receives calls from children and young people up to the age of 25. jourhavandekompis.se.
On-call fellow human being – can be reached at night on 08–702 16 80.
Friends – friends.se.
1177 – healthcare advice and information about the nearest psychiatric emergency department. 1177.se
National mental health and suicide prevention helpline – reachable 24/7 at 90390.
During the years 2012–2024, an average of ten girls and eleven boys per year died in definitely determined suicides in the age group 10–17 years.
Among children aged 10–14, the number of suicides has varied between 1–7 for boys and 1–8 for girls during the same period.
In 2024, 1,230 people died from definitely determined suicide in Sweden. Ten were children under the age of 15. A further 223 deaths were registered where suicide was suspected, but where the intent was unclear.
Source: Public Health Agency of Sweden
