The youngest students in a class are more likely to commit suicide than older classmates, according to a recent study.

Researchers from Osaka and Syracuse Universities found that those who were born right before the school cutoff day and thus youngest in their cohort have 30 percent higher mortality rates by suicide, compared to their peers who were born right after the cutoff date and thus older.

Researchers believe this is because those with relative age disadvantage tend to follow a different career path that those with relative age advantage.

For the study, researchers examined how relative age in a grade affects suicide rates of adolescents and young adults between 15 and 25 years of age using individual death records in the Vital Statistics of Japan. Implementing a regression discontinuity design, they verified that those who were born right before the school cutoff day and thus youngest in their cohort have higher mortality rates by suicide, compared to their peers who were born right after the cutoff date and thus older.

They found that the relative age at school entry affects mortality rates by suicide, not just academic performance and economic outcomes as the previous research has demonstrated.

This study showed that the relative age at school entry affects mortality rates by suicide, not just academic performance and economic outcomes as the previous research has demonstrated.

The findings are detailed in the journal PLOS ONE.