In 2025, Argentina recorded 5,209 suicides, according to the report “When Suicide Appears as an Option in Argentina” by the Criminal Policy Observatory. The figure represents a 22.6% increase over 2024 and a rate of 11.8 suicides per 100,000 people.
The report also notes that 45.3% of the suicides recorded in 2024 involved people between the ages of 15 and 34. The Observatory said suicide became the leading cause of death in that age group.
The numbers describe an urgent situation, but they do not, by themselves, explain what young people are experiencing. Argentina’s Ministry of Health defines suicide as a multifaceted problem involving personal, family, social, cultural and community factors. Reducing each case to a single reason is not only inaccurate; it can also deepen stigma.
Guidelines from UNICEF Argentina call for an interdisciplinary and cross-sector response. The question, then, is not only which data to examine, but also what relationships and responses are being built around adolescents and young people experiencing distress.
Participation Means More Than Attendance
Gastón Bruno, a political scientist specializing in education, argues that activities involving adolescents cannot be designed without including them.
“If the perspective of the person we are working with — the adolescent — is not part of the planning, it is impossible to create a sense of closeness and belonging,” he says.
Bruno proposes learning about adolescents’ cultural habits, interests, forms of entertainment, engagement with gaming and ways of organizing their time. He says this should not be a superficial exercise, but rather a condition for creating spaces that feel relevant to them.
In schools, he warns, small, safe places where students can talk are often scarce. Creating opportunities for participation, where each adolescent’s opinion and experience are respected, is an urgent need, he said.
But this is not a quick response. Detecting sustained changes in mood, attendance or relationships requires consistent work throughout adolescence and young adulthood.
That continuity also reshapes the role of volunteers in churches and Christian organizations. Their presence can be valuable, but it does not replace training.
“Volunteers need professional training, even when they approach the work as a vocation,” Bruno says.
The role of a trusted adult is not to diagnose. It is to learn how to listen, recognize warning signs, avoid minimizing distress and know when to refer someone for professional help. Training in respectful language and care protocols is essential to avoid both romanticizing suicide and contributing to stigma.
The Cost of Appearing Perfect
María Paula Zuccherino, a psychologist, identifies a particular tension among some young people connected to evangelical churches. Belonging can be a protective factor, but a culture of guilt, high expectations or fear of judgment can make it more difficult to put painful experiences into words.
“Excessive guilt” and “the pressure to meet expectations” are factors that can isolate adolescents, she explains. Sometimes this is compounded by difficulty talking about emotions, sexuality, family conflicts or personal problems when they feel they are expected to project an image of perfection before leaders and peers.
For Zuccherino, faith communities have a concrete opportunity to become places of belonging. Meaningful relationships, adults who are available to listen, a sense of purpose and shared spiritual life can strengthen young people.
However, she emphasizes a crucial limitation.
“The church acts as a support network. It does not replace therapy or mental health professionals.”
A church can provide support, help someone access a qualified mental health professional and respect confidentiality. When appropriate, the family, adolescent, therapist and community can work together without confusing spiritual support with clinical intervention.
Zuccherino identifies several signs that deserve attention, including persistent isolation, irritability, behavioral changes, apathy, changes in sleep or eating, declining school performance and a persistent sense of emptiness. None of these signs constitutes a diagnosis on its own, but they can be reasons to draw closer, ask questions and listen.
When there is an immediate risk of suicide, a recent suicide attempt or suicidal thoughts, intervention should be immediate. Pastoral support does not replace an urgent professional evaluation.
Personalizing Relationships
Natalia Zukowski, an educator, encourages people not to measure an adolescent’s sense of belonging by attendance at a weekly meeting. Some young people cannot attend because of sports, artistic activities, work, family commitments or other church activities. That should not leave them outside the community.
Attending a game, an art exhibition or a competition — or simply sending a message — can show that the interest is genuine.
“Those things really make a difference, so that when they have a difficulty, they know you are there,” she says.
Zukowski says adults often underestimate the importance of digital experiences for younger generations. She also warns that recognizing changes is not easy because many adolescents have learned how to appear as though everything is fine.
“The key is to personalize,” she says.
This means moving away from talking about young people as a uniform group and getting to know their stories, absences, interests and needs.
The educator also suggests reconsidering how small groups function. The issue is not simply whether there is a place where someone can speak honestly. The central question is what happens after they do. An inattentive, moralizing or indiscreet response can close the door to future conversations.
She also says adults should ask questions before planning.
“What do you need? What is happening with you? What would you feel comfortable with?”
Listening to those answers can be more valuable than designing activities without the participation of the people they are intended to serve.
Caring Without Exposing
Support does not end when a crisis occurs. After a suicide attempt or death, Zuccherino recommends prioritizing support, confidentiality and respect for the family’s privacy. It is not the time to look for someone to blame, speculate or share details.
The community can provide a space for family members, friends and peers to express their emotions. It should also pay attention to those who are most affected and help them access professional support.
Official Argentine guidelines for responsible communication about suicide recommend avoiding sensationalism, not attributing a death to a single factor and not presenting suicide as an understandable response to problems.
The interviews point to a shared conclusion: Prevention does not depend on a perfect phrase or a single event. It requires available adults, young people who are heard, trained volunteers, communities that do not demand perfection and mental health networks that people can access without delay.
In an immediate crisis, people should contact emergency services or go to the nearest emergency department and should not leave the person alone.
Originally published by Diario Cristiano, Christian Daily International's Spanish edition.
