Enguerrand du Roscoät1, Stéphane Legleye2, Romain Guignard3, Mathilde Husky4, François Beck5. 1. French Institute for Health Promotion and Health Education (INPES), Saint-Denis, France; Laboratoire Parisien de Psychologie Sociale (LAPPS), EA 4386, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre-La Défense, France. Electronic address: enguerrand.du-roscoat@inpes.sante.fr. 2. French Institute of Demography (Ined), Paris, France; Inserm, U1178, Univ Paris-Sud and Univ Paris Descartes, UMR-S1178 Paris, France. 3. French Institute for Health Promotion and Health Education (INPES), Saint-Denis, France. 4. Institut de Psychologie, Université Paris Descartes, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Institut Universitaire de France, Boulogne Billancourt, France. 5. French Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (OFDT), Saint-Denis, France; ERES, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, INSERM, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique (IPLESP UMRS 1136), 75012, Paris, France.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The high frequency of suicide attempts during adolescence is a serious public health concern. In particular attempts leading to hospitalization, often due to their severity, require careful consideration. METHODS: Participants were drawn from a large adolescent general population survey conducted by the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the National Service department. The final sample included 39,542 adolescents aged 17. Participants were surveyed during the "one-day session of civic and military information" using a pen and paper self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS: Depressive symptoms, family socio-economic status, familial situation, relationship with parents, school situation, substance use and body image were significant independent predictors of lifetime suicide attempts. Among suicide attempts, hospitalization was independently predicted by daily smoking in both genders, school dropout, grade repetition, absence of relationship with the mother, regular cannabis smoking and lifetime other illicit drug use in girls. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation of the present study is the absence of a thorough assessment of psychiatric disorders, depressive symptomatology being the only indicator of mental health status at the time of the survey. Second, the survey was cross-sectional thus limiting the interpretation of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The variables associated with suicide attempts and among them, those associated with hospitalization should be used to identify and provide additional services to adolescents at risk for serious suicidal behavior. Primary prevention in the field of parenting and family support, as well as intervention tackling normative beliefs related to body image should be considered.
BACKGROUND: The high frequency of suicide attempts during adolescence is a serious public health concern. In particular attempts leading to hospitalization, often due to their severity, require careful consideration. METHODS:Participants were drawn from a large adolescent general population survey conducted by the French Monitoring Center for Drugs and Drug Addiction and the National Service department. The final sample included 39,542 adolescents aged 17. Participants were surveyed during the "one-day session of civic and military information" using a pen and paper self-administered questionnaire. RESULTS:Depressive symptoms, family socio-economic status, familial situation, relationship with parents, school situation, substance use and body image were significant independent predictors of lifetime suicide attempts. Among suicide attempts, hospitalization was independently predicted by daily smoking in both genders, school dropout, grade repetition, absence of relationship with the mother, regular cannabis smoking and lifetime other illicit drug use in girls. LIMITATIONS: The main limitation of the present study is the absence of a thorough assessment of psychiatric disorders, depressive symptomatology being the only indicator of mental health status at the time of the survey. Second, the survey was cross-sectional thus limiting the interpretation of the findings. CONCLUSIONS: The variables associated with suicide attempts and among them, those associated with hospitalization should be used to identify and provide additional services to adolescents at risk for serious suicidal behavior. Primary prevention in the field of parenting and family support, as well as intervention tackling normative beliefs related to body image should be considered.
Authors: Jillian E Halladay; Michael H Boyle; Catharine Munn; Susan M Jack; Katholiki Georgiades Journal: Can J Psychiatry Date: 2018-09-27 Impact factor: 4.356