1.11 Exploring the Common Methods of Attempting Suicide by Adolescents: National Inpatient Sample (NIS) Analysis

Abstract

Suicide is a significant public health concern among the young population and the second leading cause of deaths in adolescents. Adolescents with mental health disorders like MDD and bipolar disorder (BPD) are at increased risk for suicide. We examined the prevalence of different methods of suicide or poisoning (S/P) in this vulnerable age group having MDD or BPD using a nationally representative sample. The study used a Nationwide Inpatient Sample (NIS) dataset, a nationally representative sample from the years 2012 to 2015. Adolescent patients (ages 12-17 years) with an S/P-related diagnosis and with the primary diagnosis of MDD or BPD were identified from inpatient hospitalization records. The prevalence of different methods of S/P were evaluated among MDD and BPD patients. We also looked into highly prevalent subtypes of depression among the 2 groups. The patient records with suicide or self-inflicted injuries and with the primary diagnosis of MDD (n = 3101; mean age 14.9) or BPD (n = 712; mean age 15.2) were identified from the dataset. There were more females in the MDD group (81.1% vs 71.9%) compared to BPD. Both the groups had a higher proportion of White patients (65.4 % vs 71.5%). Cutting was used for S/P among 49.8% and 54.6% (p = 0.017) patients with MDD and BPD, respectively. Analgesics/antipyretics and antirheumatics used as a method of S/P were higher in the MDD group in comparison with the BPD group, with 18.4% vs 11.2% (p < 0.001) prevalence, respectively. Tranquilizers and other psychotropic use for S/P was similar in the MDD and BPD group (13.2% vs 12.1%; p = 0.45). Our study results conclude that it is critical to investigate and understand the methods used by children and adolescents to commit suicide. Future studies should focus on different means to prevent suicide including how to potentially restrict access to the most prevalent methods of self-injury as an effective suicide prevention approach.