More than 4,000 children under 14 have attempted to take their own lives in the past year, according to NHS figures that show the scale of distress and mental suffering in the young.

Statistics being released this week will paint a terrible picture of how children have tried to commit suicide. They reveal that 69 attempted to hang or suffocate themselves and two tried to drown themselves. Most took overdoses of medicines, drugs or solvents in an effort to end their lives, but some resorted to more extreme measures. Thirteen children leapt from a great height, while four lay or jumped in front of a moving vehicle. One child attempted suicide by deliberately crashing a car.

The records show that 4,241 children under 14 were admitted to hospitals in England in the 12 months to March 2007 after attempting to kill themselves. The figures are in a report by the Information Centre for Health and Social Care, a body set up by the government to analyse the details behind nearly a million adult and child admissions to accident and emergency departments each year.

The number of suicide attempts, which has risen slightly in the past five years, will worry ministers, who are aware that secondary school teachers and family doctors are increasingly seeing children, particularly young boys, in states of distress without being able to offer a specialised support service.

Ed Balls, the Children's Secretary, has set up a review of children's and teenagers' mental health services with the aim of finding ways to stop problems arising. He called last week for more vigilance in spotting 'distress signals' in young boys.

There is a growing debate about whether mental health disorders are rising in the young, but there are signs that health professionals are seeing more young patients. The number of prescriptions handed out to children under 16 for depression and mental health disorders has quadrupled in a decade.

Isla Dowd, of the charity Rethink, said: 'To have this number of children attempting to commit suicide in a country where we are claim to have a culture where every child matters is profoundly shocking. Children often attempt suicide when they feel that such drastic action is the only solution to their problems. There is still not adequate and appropriate access for children experiencing emotional and mental distress.'

About one in 10 children and young people will suffer behavioural, emotional or mental health problems before the age of 18, with twice as many young boys under 10 as girls diagnosed with a mental health disorder.

Balls said: 'We know that girls are better than boys at asking for help when they need it. That is why we are calling on professionals working with children to keep a close eye on boys in particular and spot when they are distressed.'

Health Secretary Alan Johnson added: 'Having good mental health enables young people to make the most of their opportunities. However, we know that a minority of children and young people are at increased risk of developing mental health problems than their peers.'