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Published online by Cambridge University Press: 23 March 2020
Previous researches showed that adolescents are at high risk of suicide. Suicide is a trans-nosographic phenomenon regardless of psychiatric diagnosis. Trauma is an important risk factor for suicide and young help-seeking patients usually refer traumatic experiences, especially during childhood.
The objective of this study is to assess the relationship between traumatic experience and suicide risk comparing adolescents with suicide risk with adolescents without suicide risk.
To investigate correlations between trauma, psychopathology and suicide risk in a sample of young help-seeking outpatients.
We recruited 99 outpatients aged between 14 and 21 years admitted to department for prevention and early intervention in adolescence of Rome. We administered psychometric instruments exploring suicide risk (SHSS, BHS), prodromal (SIPS/SOPS), affective and anxious symptoms (HAM-A, HAM-D,MRS), child abuse (CTQ) and experiences of depersonalization (CDS).
Sample is composed of 31 men and 68 women. A total of 34.3% had mood disorder. A total of 28.3% reported history of emotional neglect, 20.2% emotional abuse, 9.15 sexual abuse, 5.1% physical neglect, 9,1% sexual abuse, 4% physical abuse. More than 30% of patients were at increased suicide risk. Depressive, irritable, anxious and cyclothymic temperament was associated with suicide risk. Patients with suicide risk had higher score at HAM-D (t63 = 2.65; P = 0.01), CDS (t63 = 2.77; P = 0.007), in CTQ (t63 = 3.20; P = 0.002) and BHS (t63 = 3.23; P = 0.002).
Adolescents with suicide risk, compared with those without, reported more frequently early traumatic experiences and psychiatric symptoms. Early traumatic experiences constitute a risk factor for both suicide risk and psychiatric symptoms during adolescence.
The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.
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