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Identifying Differences between Greek Adolescent Suicide Attempters and Adolescent Patients with No Suicidal Behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 July 2023

T. Tairi ,
N. Zilikis  and
F. Siamouli
T. Tairi*
Affiliation:
International Studies, American University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
N. Zilikis
Affiliation:
3rd Psychiatric Department, AHEPA General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
F. Siamouli
Affiliation:
3rd Psychiatric Department, AHEPA General Hospital, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Youth suicide is a significant public health problem resulting in a major social and economic burden for communities and a devastating impact on families.

Objectives

The present study, which is part of a continuing research on attempted suicide among adolescents conducted in Northern Greece since 1990, explored the circumstances and characteristics of adolescent suicide attempters, comparing them with a clinical sample of adolescents with no suicidal behavior.

Methods

We retrospectively studied medical records and collected clinical data, sociodemographic and family characteristics of adolescents (all diagnoses except attempted suicide) referred to the Adolescent Unit of the AHEPA General Hospital for assessment and treatment between 2008 and 2018 (N = 160) and we compared them with our sample of adolescent suicide attempters (N = 182).

Results

Of the 342 cases reviewed, 71.6% were female and aged 12 to 19 years (M = 15.39, SD = 1.81). Chi-square analyses showed that, compared with patients with no suicidal behavior, attempters were more frequently diagnosed with personality disorder and mood disorder. No differences were found between groups for substance-use disorder, psychosis, eating disorder and somatic symptom disorder. Attempters were also living in more problematic circumstances, such as such as severe family dysfunction and/or impairment, reported significantly more conflict with parents, had more school problems and had experienced romantic disappointment (see Table 1).Table 1.Comparisons between suicide attempters and nonsuicidal comparison group on family psychosocial characteristics

Suicide Attempters(n = 182)Comparison Group(n = 160)
n%n%χ2
Malfunction/Inadequate family system10960.65936.919.00***
School problems/difficulties10055.26037.710.42***
Conflict with parents9753.96641.35.42*
Romantic disappointment4122.9106.318.34***
Conflict with siblings2614.4127.54.11*
History of physical abuse/violence2514.016101.25
History of sexual abuse – Rape63.463.8.04

Conclusions

These findings highlight risk factors for suicide attempts and inform the development of suicide models that improve identification of adolescents at greatest risk to making a suicide attempt.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 66 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 31st European Congress of Psychiatry , March 2023 , pp. S1116 - S1117
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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