1
|
Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Dupuis LC, Ray R. Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and attempts among children and adolescents. Int J Adolesc Med Health 2017; 29:/j/ijamh.2017.29.issue-2/ijamh-2015-0053/ijamh-2015-0053.xml. [PMID: 26556839 DOI: 10.1515/ijamh-2015-0053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Suicide is a potentially preventable public health issue. It is therefore important to examine its immediate precursors, including suicidal ideation and attempts, to help in the development of future public health interventions. The present study reports the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts in the past 12 months in children and adolescents and identifies correlates of such behaviors in a large and diverse sample of middle and high school students. Data were drawn from a representative sample of Ottawa students (n=1922) aged 11-20 years (14.4±1.9 years) from three cycles (2009, 2011 and 2013) of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS), a cross-sectional school-based appraisal of students in grades 7-12 across Ontario, Canada. Overall, 10.8% of students exhibited suicidal ideation and 3.0% reported suicide attempts in the past 12 months. The conditional probability of making an attempt was 25.5% among suicide ideators. Multivariable analyses indicated that being a girl and using alcohol and cannabis were positively associated with suicidal ideation, while tobacco was positively associated with suicide attempts. Being a victim of school bullying was significantly associated with reports of suicidal ideation and attempts, whereas school connectedness had protective effects against both suicidal ideation and attempts. These results indicate that suicidal ideation and attempts are related to other risky behaviors. Suicide-prevention efforts should be integrated within broader health-promoting initiatives.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Robin Ray
- Ottawa Public Health, Ottawa, Ontario
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Oprescu F, Scott-Parker B, Dayton J. An analysis of child deaths by suicide in Queensland Australia, 2004-2012. What are we missing from a preventative health services perspective? J Inj Violence Res 2017; 9:75-82. [PMID: 28513530 PMCID: PMC5556629 DOI: 10.5249/jivr.v9i2.837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/03/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This article analyzes case descriptions of child suicides from 2004 to 2012 to inform future policy and practice. METHODS Quantitative data and case descriptions for 159 child suicides (less than 18 years) in Queensland, Australia, were analyzed quantitatively using SPSS and qualitatively using automated content analysis (Leximancer). RESULTS More than three quarters of child suicides involved hanging and 81% of suicides occurred in the family home. Less than 20% of the deceased left a note, however there was evidence of planning in 54% of cases. Most common triggering events were family conflicts. CONCLUSIONS Effective suicide prevention interventions require a comprehensive understanding of risk factors. Quality of case descriptions varied widely, which can hamper injury prevention efforts through an incomplete understanding of characteristics of and important factors in child suicide. Additional attention and resources dedicated to this public health issue could enhance the development and implementation of effective intervention strategies targeting child and adolescent suicide.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Bridie Scott-Parker
- Adolescent Risk Research Unit (ARRU), School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Business, University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia.
| | | |
Collapse
|
3
|
Marraccini ME, Brier ZMF. School connectedness and suicidal thoughts and behaviors: A systematic meta-analysis. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017; 32:5-21. [PMID: 28080099 DOI: 10.1037/spq0000192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Among the protective factors associated with reduced risk for suicide, scientific inquiries into school connectedness are especially important considering that schools are ideally situated to provide interventions reaching the vast majority of youth. Although there is a wealth of research that supports the association between school connectedness and reduced self-report of adolescents having a suicidal thought or making a suicide attempt, inconsistencies in the way studies have measured and operationalized school connectedness limit synthesis across findings. This meta-analytic study investigates the literature exploring associations between school connectedness and suicidal thoughts and behaviors across general and subpopulations (high risk and sexual minority youth) using a random effects model. Eligible studies examined a measure of school connectedness explicitly referred to as "school connectedness" or "connections at school" in relation to suicidal ideation or suicide attempts among youth enrolled in school (Grades 6-12). Multiple metaregression analyses were conducted to explore the influence of school connectedness measurement variation, as well as participant characteristics. Results, including 16 samples, support that higher school connectedness is associated with reduced reports of suicidal thoughts and behaviors across general (odds ratio [OR] = 0.536), high-risk (OR = 0.603), and sexual minority (OR = 0.608) adolescents. Findings are consistent when analyzed separately for suicidal ideation (OR = 0.529) and suicide attempts (OR = 0.589) and remain stable when accounting for measurement variability. Although limited by its cross-sectional nature, findings support recent calls to increase school connectedness and proffer important implications for screening and intervention efforts conducted in schools. (PsycINFO Database Record
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Zoe M F Brier
- Bradley/Hasbro Children's Research Center of Rhode Island Hospital
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Logan JE, Vagi KJ, Gorman-Smith D. Characteristics of Youth With Combined Histories of Violent Behavior, Suicidal Ideation or Behavior, and Gun-Carrying. CRISIS 2016; 37:402-414. [PMID: 27245809 PMCID: PMC5133189 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Youth reporting combined histories of nonfatal violence, suicidal ideation/behavior, and gun-carrying (VSG) are at risk for perpetrating fatal interpersonal violence and self-harm. AIMS We characterized these youth to inform prevention efforts. METHOD We analyzed 2004 data from 3,931 seventh-, ninth-, and 11-12th-grade youth and compared VSG youth (n = 66) with non-gun carrying youth who either had no histories of violence or suicidal thoughts/behavior (n = 1,839), histories of violence (n = 884), histories of suicidal thoughts/behaviors (n = 552), or both (n = 590). We compared groups based on demographic factors, risk factors (i.e., friends who engage in delinquency, peer-violence victimization, depressive symptoms, illicit substance use), and protective factors (i.e., school connectedness, parental care and supervision). Regression models identified factors associated with VSG youth. RESULTS Illicit substance use and having friends who engage in delinquency were more common among VSG youth in all comparisons; almost all VSG youth had high levels of these factors. Depressive symptoms were positively associated with VSG youth versus youth without either violent or suicide-related histories and youth with violent histories alone. School connectedness and parental supervision were negatively associated with VSG youth in most comparisons. CONCLUSION Family-focused and school-based interventions that increase connectedness while reducing delinquency and substance use might prevent these violent tendencies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joseph E Logan
- 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Kevin J Vagi
- 1 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Deborah Gorman-Smith
- 2 University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, Chicago, IL, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Sampasa-Kanyinga H, Hamilton HA. Does socioeconomic status moderate the relationships between school connectedness with psychological distress, suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents? Prev Med 2016; 87:11-17. [PMID: 26876628 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2016.02.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Research has indicated that school connectedness acts as a buffer against depressive symptoms and suicidality. However, little is known about the role of socioeconomic status (SES) on these links. The present study examined the moderating role of subjective SES and parental education on the relationships between school connectedness and psychological distress, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. METHODS Data were gathered from 4955 participants within the 2013 cycle of the Ontario Students Drug Use and Health Survey, a province-wide repeated school-based survey of students in grade 7 to 12 across Ontario, Canada. RESULTS Results indicated that higher subjective SES is associated with high levels of school connectedness. Subjective SES is also a significant moderator of the association between school connectedness and psychological distress, but not between school connectedness and suicidal ideation or attempts. At low subjective SES, there was no difference in risk of psychological distress between students with high and low levels of school connectedness. However, at higher subjective SES, students with high levels of school connectedness have lower odds of psychological distress than those with low levels of school connectedness. The associations between school connectedness and each of the mental health outcomes did not significantly vary with parental education. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that the beneficial effects of school connectedness on mental health problems may be more strongly related to adolescents' status beliefs rather than parental education. Future research is needed to better understand the mechanism through which subjective SES and school connectedness influence psychological distress.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hayley A Hamilton
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Langille DB, Asbridge M, Cragg A, Rasic D. Associations of School Connectedness With Adolescent Suicidality: Gender Differences and the Role of Risk of Depression. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. REVUE CANADIENNE DE PSYCHIATRIE 2015; 60:258-67. [PMID: 26175323 PMCID: PMC4501583 DOI: 10.1177/070674371506000604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2014] [Accepted: 09/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Previous studies have not examined associations of school connectedness with adolescent suicidal behaviours stratified by gender, while including a measure of depression. We analyzed survey data to determine whether there are independent protective associations of higher school connectedness with suicidal behaviours in Canadian adolescents, while controlling for potential confounders, including risk of depression; and whether such associations differ by gender. METHOD Using data from a stratified cluster sample of randomly selected classes of students in schools in 3 of Canada's Atlantic provinces, we used multiple logistic regression to examine whether associations of risk of depression, measured using the 12-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression scale, lessened protective associations of higher school connectedness with suicidal behaviours in grades 10 and 12 students, while stratifying by gender. RESULTS After adjusting for risk of depression, higher school connectedness was independently associated with decreased suicidal ideation in both genders and with suicidal attempt in females. In males, higher connectedness was no longer protective for suicide attempt when risk of depression was included in the model. CONCLUSIONS School connectedness, which is felt to have positive influences on many types of adolescent behaviour, appears to also be both directly and indirectly protective for suicidality. These effects may occur through different pathways in females and males. Given the protection it offers both genders, including those at risk and not at risk of depression, increasing school connectedness should be considered as a universal adolescent mental health strategy. Studies that examine school connectedness should include analyses that examine potential differences between males and females.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Donald B Langille
- Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
| | - Mark Asbridge
- Associate Professor, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
| | - Amber Cragg
- Research Associate, Department of Community Health and Epidemiology, Faculty of Medicine, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia
| | - Daniel Rasic
- Staff Psychiatrist, Canadian Armed Forces Health Services Centre (Atlantic), Halifax, Nova Scotia
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
He AS, Fulginiti A, Finno-Velasquez M. Connectedness and suicidal ideation among adolescents involved with child welfare: a national survey. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2015; 42:54-62. [PMID: 25791342 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2015.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Using data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being, this study examined the relationship between connectedness in major social domains (i.e., caregiver, peers, deviant peers, and school) and suicidal ideation among adolescents (11-17 years old) investigated by child welfare agencies (N=995). Weighted logistic regression models were used to evaluate the relationships between connectedness variables and suicidal ideation, after adjusting for covariates. Youths with a stronger connection to caregivers were much less likely to report suicidal ideation, whereas youths with stronger deviant peer relationships were significantly more likely to report suicidal ideation. Significant associations found between primary caregiver and deviant peer connectedness and suicidal ideation highlight the need for attentive consideration of these relationships when working with this highly vulnerable population. Identifying domain-specific connectedness factors related to suicidal ideation presents an opportunity for the development of targeted early intervention for child welfare-involved youths.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy S He
- School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Anthony Fulginiti
- School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| | - Megan Finno-Velasquez
- School of Social Work, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Whitlock J, Wyman PA, Moore SR. Connectedness and suicide prevention in adolescents: pathways and implications. Suicide Life Threat Behav 2014; 44:246-72. [PMID: 24444252 DOI: 10.1111/sltb.12071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2013] [Accepted: 08/21/2013] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Adolescent suicide is a major public health concern. Stressing the need for public health-based solutions, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified "connectedness" as one means of pursuing this agenda. To advance this effort in suicide prevention with adolescents, (1) consistencies and variation in the literature overtly linking connectedness to suicide thoughts and behaviors (STB) are reviewed, (2) three more specific mechanistic pathways are proposed whereby connectedness may influence STB, and (3) several implications related to use of connectedness as a public health framework for adolescent suicide prevention and intervention are outlined.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janis Whitlock
- Bronfenbrenner Center for Translational Research, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Department of Human Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Logan JE, Crosby AE, Hamburger ME. Suicidal ideation, friendships with delinquents, social and parental connectedness, and differential associations by sex: findings among high-risk pre/early adolescent population. CRISIS 2012; 32:299-309. [PMID: 21940255 DOI: 10.1027/0227-5910/a000091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The association between suicidal ideation, friendships with delinquents, and social/parental connectedness among pre/early adolescents who reside in high-risk communities is poorly understood. AIMS This study examined among high-risk youths: (1) the association between suicidal ideation and having delinquent friends, school connectedness, social support, and different parenting styles (i.e., caring only, supervision only, caring with supervision); and, (2) the differential associations by sex. METHODS The associations were assessed among 2,598 pre/early adolescents using logistic regression. The analyses were adjusted for demographic, mental distress, illicit substance use, and peer/date violence victimization factors. The interaction terms determined differences by sex. RESULTS After adjusting for demographic factors and mental distress, suicidal ideation was positively associated with having delinquent friends; however, after factoring in illicit substance use and violence victimization, this association was negative for males. After adjusting for all factors, suicidal ideation was negatively associated with school connectedness and all parenting styles; however, the association between suicidal ideation and having parental caring with supervision was stronger for females. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest the potential benefits of increasing school connectedness and improving parent-child interactions, particularly among females, and the potential benefits of violence and substance-abuse prevention strategies for youths, particularly males, connected with delinquent peers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J E Logan
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, Division of Violence Prevention, Etiology and Surveillance Branch, Atlanta, GA 30341-3724, USA.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|