28.12 Homicidal Ideation and Psychiatric Comorbidity in Inpatient Adolescents Aged 12 to 17 Years

Abstract

Adolescents with homicidal tendencies are a serious growing concern in the United States. Research studies in the past have showcased the relationship between homicidal ideation (HI) and mental illnesses, but very limited information is available on the adolescent and inpatient population. We aim to evaluate the difference in the prevalence of demographic characteristics and mental health disorders in adolescents with and without HI. The adolescent population (ages 12-17 years) that admitted to the hospital with the diagnosis of HI was identified from the 2016 to 2018 National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample dataset. Patients without HI were used as a control group. The prevalence of mental illness comorbidities between the group was compared using the Rao-Scott adjusted χ2 test. A total of 18,935 patients (mean age: 14.5 years) with HI diagnosis were identified in the study. The majority of the patients in the HI group were male compared to the control group (58.7% vs 41.2%; p < 0.001). Racially, it was more prevalent in the White race (56.0% vs 52.6%; p < 0.001) as well as the Black race (22.3% vs 17.8%; p < 0.001). It was less prevalent among the Hispanic race (14.9% vs 21.3%; p < 0.001). MDD prevalence was 48.2% in patients with HI and 22.3% in the control group. Bipolar disorders (17.7% vs 3.8%; p < 0.001), and anxiety disorders (49.5% vs 20.0%; p < 0.001) were highly prevalent among patients with HI. Suicidal ideation/attempt was prevalent in 66.9% of patients with HI. The study found a higher prevalence of mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder in adolescents with HI. The White race was more prevalent in the homicidal group of the study. Further large-scale longitudinal research studies are warranted to establish the causal relationship between mental health disorders and HI among adolescents.