In a study, the Royal College of Psychiatrists says a high threshold for determining suicide cases by UK coroners, particularly for young people's deaths, means many undetermined youth deaths are given an open or a different verdict than suicide.
The research paper is the first phase of a study focusing on the unnatural deaths of eight- to 18-year-olds in West Yorkshire, using figures taken from the Office for National Statistics.
Dr Helen Gosney, research lead child and adolescent psychiatrist for the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Mental Health Care Trust, said: "Coroners do a fantastic job but policymakers need to be aware that suicide and open verdicts are underestimated. This could have an impact on policymaking."
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