Adolescent Suicide: A Major Issue in Pediatric Health Care

Background: Adolescent suicide, the third leading cause of death among youth 15 to 19 years old, is a major public health concern. The adolescence is a period of transition characterized by various physical and psychological transformations, which can be the source of an enormous psychological distress. It represents a period of higher vulnerability to everyday difficulties leading to impulsive and/or unpredictable behavior such as suicidal behavior

Objective: To determine the rates, correlates, methods, risk and protective factors associated with these suicidal behaviors among adolescents.

Methods: A literature review was conducted in Medline and Scopus database regarding the above issues.

Results: Common methods of suicide used by youth 10 to 19 years old were firearms, drugs, carbon monoxide poisoning, and hanging. Most teenaged attempters have a recent history of psychiatric illness, most commonly a mood disorder, often associated with a conduct, an anxiety, or a substance abuse disorder. Studies on adolescent suicide attempts are largely based on analyses of individual risk factors, often focused on mental health symptoms. Risk factors for adolescent suicide attempts include general mental health problems, substance abuse, low self-esteem, and impulsivity. From a psychosocial perspective, suicide attempts among adolescents have been associated with problems in family communication or problem solving and lower parental monitoring, death or previous suicide attempts by family members or friends, and interpersonal problems. Protective factors include positive family relationships, discussing problems with friends or family, emotional health and family connectedness.

Conclusion: Health care providers should particularly target adolescents manifesting the above risk and protective factors when developing suicide prevention programs for them.