Risk Factors for Suicide Reattempt among Adolescents and Young Adults: The Role of Psychiatric Disorders

Suicidal behaviour among young people is a serious public health concern. Each suicide attempt is related to further suicide attempts and completed suicide. This study aims to explore risk factors associated with repeated suicide attempt among adolescents and young adults. The cohort included 510 patients aged 12-29 years residing in Piedmont Region in North-Western Italy, who had been admitted to hospital or emergency department with a diagnosis of suicide attempt between 2010 and 2020. Cox regression models were used to evaluate potential risk factors for repeated suicide attempt. During the 11-years follow-up, 20.6% of adolescents and young adults repeated suicide attempt, 24.8% of females and 12.3% of males. Nearly 90% of youth who attempted suicide had a diagnosis of psychiatric disorder. After adjustment, younger age of onset of suicidal behaviour, and diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depressive disorder, anorexia nervosa and personality disorder were significantly associated with repeated suicide attempt. The early identification of patients at higher risk of repetition of suicidal behaviour is of crucial importance. Better understanding of risk factors and effective treatment of mental disorders could help suicide prevention to reduce the burden of the problem among young people. Special attention should be paid during the initial months following discharge from hospital or emergency department, when suicide reattempt risk is very high.

Risk factors for mortality after hospitalization for suicide attempt: results of 11-year follow-up study in Piedmont Region, Italy

PURPOSE

Suicide attempters are at high risk of premature death, both for suicide and for non-suicidal causes. The aim of this study is to investigate risk factors and temporal span for mortality in a cohort of cases admitted to hospital for suicide attempt.

METHODS

The cohort included 1489 patients resident in Piedmont Region, North West of Italy, who had been admitted to hospital or emergency department for suicide attempt between 2010 and 2020. Cox regression models were used to identify risk factors for death. The final multivariate model included gender, age, area deprivation index, family composition, psychiatric disorders, malignant neoplasms, neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular diseases, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and intracranial injury or skull fracture.

RESULTS

During the observation period, 7.3% of patients died. The highest mortality was observed within the first 12 months after suicide attempt, and remained elevated for many years afterwards. Male gender, older age, high deprivation index of the census area, single-parent family, mood disorders, malignant neoplasms, diabetes mellitus and intracranial injuries or skull fracture were independent predictors of death. Risk factors for natural and unnatural causes of death were also identified.

CONCLUSIONS

The mortality risk of suicide attempters is very high, both in the months immediately following the attempt and afterwards. The identification of high-risk groups can help to plan outpatient care following the hospital discharge. Our findings urge the need to design strategies for the assistance and care of these patients at long term in order to reduce the unfavourable outcomes.