UNDERLYING CAUSES OF DEATHS BY SUICIDE AMONG ADULTS AGED 30 TO 39

NOTICE PAPER NO. 133

NOTICE OF QUESTION FOR ORAL ANSWER

FOR THE SITTING OF PARLIAMENT ON OR AFTER 15 OCTOBER 2025

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament

Ms He Ting Ru

MP for Sengkang GRC

Question No. 643

To ask the Coordinating Minister for Social Policies and Minister for Health what steps are being taken to study the underlying causes of deaths by suicide among adults aged 30 to 39 and to address this issue, given that this age group recorded the highest increase in 2024.

Answer

1          Suicide is multi-factorial and usually not attributable to any single cause.

2          IMH recently completed and released a study[1] on suicide in September, which identified risk and protective factors as well as warning signs that families and friends can look out for. This enables timely support for at-risk individuals and can potentially prevent suicides.

3          For all age groups, the best interventions include building mental resilience, spotting early risk indicators, encouraging timely help-seeking and supporting individuals in crisis. MOH will continue to work with relevant agencies on improving suicide prevention measures.

[1] Seeking Answers: A Psychological Autopsy of Exploring and Analysing Risk Factors (SPEARS)