"They were all preventable and none of them have been as a result of severe depression."
Dr Bain said the main issues were dysfunctional families and lack of communication.
"It is all about communication. People just don't know how to talk to their loved ones and express how they are feeling."
Tauranga counsellor Alison Hulme said the Bay's suicide figures were not a surprise.
She said people at risk of suicide needed continuous support.
"If they share that journey they are less likely to break it."
She said women seemed more likely to continue with counselling than men. She also agreed with Dr Bain that communication was the key to suicide prevention.
"People need to make a connection. They just need to be able to talk about what is going on."
Dr Bain said he had recently done a series of public speaking engagements with New Zealand comedian Mike King.
The duo had mainly been targeting high schools in Rotorua and the Eastern Bay, talking to students about suicide prevention.
"Mike King has been New Zealand's number one stand-up comedian for 27 years and for 20 of those he was wasted on drugs and alcohol."
He said King would talk to students about his experience with depression and gave out his number so students could call and text him.
"The response was amazing. Mike had people texting him up until 1.30am ... I've never seen an effect like it."
Dr Bain said the response from students was amazing and they were considering doing more presentations.
The statistics
• Suicides by people under age 25 fell from 158 in 2011/2012 to 144 last year to 110 in the latest year.
• The suicide rate for teenagers aged 15 to 19 fell to its lowest level since the series started.
• The Maori suicide rate dropped from 23.34 per 100,000 people in 2011/2012 to 18.58 last year and 18.06 in the latest year.
• The number of suicides by those aged 60-plus jumped from 75 in both the previous two years to 97 in the latest year, almost equalling youth suicides in numbers.
Where to get help
• Lifeline — 0800 543 354
• Depression Helpline (8am to midnight) — 0800 111 757
• Healthline — 0800 611 116
• Samaritans — 0800 726 666 (for callers from the Lower North Island, Christchurch and West Coast) or 0800 211 211 / (04) 473 9739 (for callers from all other regions)
• Suicide Crisis Helpline (aimed at those in distress, or those who are concerned about the wellbeing of someone else) — 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO)
• Youthline — 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz