Street scars: Suicide ideation and suicide attempt among street-involved adolescents and youth in southern Brazil

Abstract

ObjectiveTo measure the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts as well as suicide attempts' associated factors among street-involved youth in southern Brazil. Participants and settingCross-sectional study was conducted with street-involved adolescents and children from Porto Alegre and Rio Grande, Brazil. MethodsA respondent-driven sampling strategy was used to access this hard-to-reach population quickly and efficiently. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted, with the latter being binary logistic regression. ResultsThe prevalence of suicide attempts was 16.3%, while the frequency of suicidal ideation was 30.9%. Most participants were male, aged between 16 and 18 years, with no ties to school and family. Almost half of the sample had been in a street situation for five years or more, and two-thirds reported spending more than seven hours a day on the streets. Variables independently associated with suicide attempts were aged 19–21 years old, with reduced ties with school and family, having had an experience of sexual abuse, and lifetime use of crack. ConclusionsPublic policies targeting the strengthening ties of street-involved children, adolescents, and youth with school and family might reduce their vulnerability to threats, such as sexual abuse and use of crack, and hence focus on decreasing suicide attempts.