An analysis of suicidal behavior in adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: gender and age aspects

Abstract

To analyse the dynamics of suicidal behavior in Russian adolescents before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. An analysis of suicidal behavior was carried out to study mortality rates caused by completed suicides and to find out the prevalence of intentional self-harm (ISH), suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempts (SA). Mortality data were obtained from the Database of demographic indicators for Russian regions over a period of 2015-2021. Data on the prevalence of ISH, SI, and SA were obtained from an anonymous survey of adolescents, using a questionnaire developed for Eurasian Child Mental Health Study (EACMHS) group (block «suicidality»). An anonymous survey of adolescents, aged 11-18 years, was carried out twice: in 2015-2021 (n=1723, 46.6% males, mean age 14.7±1.3 years) and November 2020 - July 2021 (n=1011, 47.1% males, mean age 15.3±1.4). In 2021, the mortality rate from completed suicides increased among younger adolescents (10-14 years old) from 0.1 to 1.4 per 100 000 individuals, among older adolescents (15-19 years old) from 0.7 to 6.1 per 100 000 individuals compared to 2019. The highest rise in mortality was observed in girls aged 10-14 (from 0.1 to 1.6 per 100 000). The prevalence for various types of suicidal behavior increased in adolescents aged 11-14 years, especially among girls, with the SI frequency increasing by 63% (p<0.05), SA - by 15.4%, suicidal ISH - by 23.7%. The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the suicidal behavior of adolescents with the need for preventive measures for specialists.