Police Contact, Non-Suicidal Self-Injury, and Suicidal Ideation: Findings From a National Sample of Canadian Adolescents and Young Adults.

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to investigate associations between police contact, non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), and suicidal ideation (SI) among a national sample of Canadian adolescents and young adults (ages 16-30). Data used in this study were obtained from the Canadian Study of Adolescent Health Behaviors (N=940), a national survey of Canadians ages 16-30. Police contact was associated with higher odds of NSSI (OR=1.98, 95% CI=1.37, 2.86). Those who reported police contact with intrusion (OR=2.39, 95% CI=1.49, 3.38) and police contact with harassment (OR=3.98, 95% CI=2.30, 6.88) had higher odds of NSSI relative to respondents with no contact. Finally, any police contact was associated with higher odds of SI (OR=1.56, 95% CI=1.04, 2.34) and respondents experiencing police stops with harassment had higher odds of SI compared to those who had never been stopped (OR=2.48, 95% CI=1.45, 4.24). Distressing police contact heightens the risk of NSSI and SI among young people. Rigorous evaluation of trauma-informed, developmentally appropriate strategies for identifying and intervening on NSSI and SI following adverse police encounters should be prioritized.