Age- and Sex-Specific Risk Factors for Youth Suicide: A Mixed Methods Review. WMJ 2020 Sep;119(3):165-170
Date
10/23/2020Pubmed ID
33091283Scopus ID
2-s2.0-85094171345 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site) 2 CitationsAbstract
BACKGROUND: Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for individuals ages 10 through 34, and rates are rising. This study seeks to broaden the understanding of suicide in youths ages 10-17.
STUDY AIMS: Use a mixed-methods approach to investigate the different characteristics leading to youth suicide by 2 distinct youth age subgroups (pre-high school and high school) and by sex.
METHODS: A retrospective review and analysis of the Wisconsin Violent Death Reporting System data on Wisconsin resident suicides was conducted for 146 individuals ages 10 through 17 who died by suicide from 2012 through 2016.
RESULTS: A total of 20 common characteristics were extrapolated from the narratives. Among the 10- to 13-year-old age group, 4 age-specific characteristics emerged: estrangement, exposure to suicide, school issues, and adversity. Six age-specific characteristics emerged among the 14- to 17-year-old age group: history of abuse (P <0.01), history of self-harm (P < 0.01), and history of suicide attempt (P < 0.01) were highly associated with female sex.
CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that there are unique age and sex-specific characteristics for teenage suicide. This information can be leveraged to plan focused prevention strategies relevant to youth in 2 distinct age groups.
Author List
Kohlbeck S, Hargarten S, Cassidy LDAuthors
Laura Cassidy PhD Associate Dean, Professor in the Institute for Health and Equity department at Medical College of WisconsinStephen W. Hargarten MD, MPH Professor in the Emergency Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
Sara Kohlbeck PhD, MPH Assistant Professor in the Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin
MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold
AdolescentAge Distribution
Child
Female
Humans
Male
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Self-Injurious Behavior
Sex Distribution
