Prevalence Of Suicide Risk Research Articles

Substance use and risk of suicide among adults who sought mental health and addiction specialty services through a centralised intake process in Nova Scotia: a cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThe objectives of this study are as follows: (1) to estimate the prevalence of suicide risk among individuals seeking mental health and addiction (MHA) services in Nova Scotia; (2) to...

Suicide risk among young people who use drugs in Hanoi, Vietnam: Prevalence and related factors.

Adolescents and young adults are vulnerable to suicidality, especially those at high risk such as young people who use drugs (YPUD). This study aimed to assess the prevalence and related factors of suicide risk among this population. We conducted a descriptive, cross-sectional study on YPUD aged 16-24 in the community in Hanoi, Vietnam. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, drug use, and adverse childhood experiences were collected using face-to-face questionnaires by research assistants. YPUD were screened by psychiatrists for depression, psychotic symptoms, and suicide risk, using the MINI questionnaire. Three hundred-seven YPUD (250 males, 57 females) participated in the study; of those, 86 (28.0%) were at risk of suicide. Gender (female), adverse childhood experiences, depression, and psychosis were relevant factors. The prevalence of suicide risk among young people using drugs was high. Therefore, suicide risk should be screened and monitored in the clinical assessment of this population. In addition, the intervention efforts to detect and intervene in adverse events during childhood may be one way to prevent mental health and suicide in later life.

Prevalence, demographic characteristics, and clinical features of suicide risk in first episode drug-naïve schizophrenia patients with comorbid severe anxiety

BackgroundBoth anxiety symptoms and suicide risk are common in schizophrenia. However, previous findings about the association between anxiety and suicide risk in schizophrenia were controversial. This study is the first to examine the prevalence of suicide risk and related demographic, clinical features in a large sample of first episode drug-naïve (FEDN) schizophrenia patients with comorbid severe anxiety. MethodsIn total, 316 patients with FEDN schizophrenia were enrolled in this study. Patients' symptoms were assessed using the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAMA), and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). Serum levels of glucose, insulin, uric acid, and lipids including total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), were evaluated. ResultsIn the current study, 56.3% patients presented comorbid severe anxiety. The rate of suicide risk was higher in the severe anxiety group (55.6%) than in the mild-moderate anxiety group (33.3%). The interactions among severe anxiety, uric acid and HDL-C were associated with suicide risk. Compared with patients with normal uric acid, those with abnormal uric acid exhibited a stronger association between HAMA scores and HAMD-suicide item scores. This enhanced association was also observed for patients with abnormal HDL-C levels. ConclusionsIn FEDN schizophrenia patients with comorbid severe anxiety, our findings suggested a high incidence of suicide risk. Abnormal levels of uric acid and low levels of HDL-C, as well as high depression may be associated with an increased risk of suicide in FEDN schizophrenia patients with comorbid severe anxiety.

Suicide risk in adults with autism spectrum disorder: prevalence, assessment, and possible therapeutic interventions

Suicide risk in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has emerged as a long-neglected issue. This revision aims to explore the prevalence, methods of assessment, and available treatments for suicide risk in this population. A narrative review was carried out on three aspects related to the risk of suicide in the adult population with ASD: prevalence, evaluation and available evidence-based interventions. The bibliographic search was carried out using the Pubmed, Scielo, Dialnet and Psychinfo search engines, limited to articles published from 2010 onwards. In order to identify relevant literature, various combinations of keywords were used, such as “suicide risk,” “autism spectrum disorder,” and “suicide in autism,” in both Spanish and English. The main findings suggest a high prevalence of suicide risk, highlighting the need of developing standardized protocols to assess such risk in the autistic population. Moreover, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy has shown promise as a therapeutic option to decrease suicidality, but further research is needed to establish its effectiveness and standardization as a treatment.

Development of mental health first-aid guidelines for suicide risk: a Delphi expert consensus study in Argentina and Chile

BackgroundSuicide continues to pose a significant global public health challenge and ranks as one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Given the prevalence of suicide risk in the community, there is a significant likelihood of encountering individuals who may be experiencing suicidal thoughts or plans, creating an opening for non-health professionals to offer support. This study aims to culturally adapt the original Australian Mental Health First Aid Guidelines for suicide risk to the Chilean and Argentine context.MethodsA two-round Delphi expert consensus study was conducted involving two panels, one comprising individuals with personal experience in suicide thoughts/attempts or caregiving for those with such experiences (n = 18), and the other consisting of professionals specialized in suicide assessment and support for individuals at risk (n = 25). They rated a total of 179 items mainly derived from guidelines developed by Australian experts and translated into Spanish (168), and new items included by the research team (11). The panel members were requested to assess each item utilizing a five-point Likert scale. During the second round, items that received moderate approval in the initial round were re-evaluated, and new items suggested by the local experts in the first round were also subjected to evaluation in the next round. Inclusion in the final guidelines required an 80% endorsement as “essential” or “important” from both panels.ResultsConsensus of approval was reached for 189 statements. Among these, 139 statements were derived from the English-language guidelines, while 50 locally generated statements were accepted during the second round. A significant difference from the original guideline was identified concerning the local experts’ reluctance to discuss actions collaboratively with adolescents. Furthermore, the local experts proposed the inclusion of an entirely new section addressing suicide risk in older individuals, particularly focusing on suicide methods and warning signs.ConclusionsA Delphi expert consensus study was conducted to culturally adapt mental health first aid guidelines for assessing suicide risk in Chile and Argentina. This study involved professionals and individuals with lived experience. While many items were endorsed, some related to inquiring about suicide risk and autonomy, particularly for adolescents, were not. An additional section for older individuals was introduced. Future research should explore the implementation and impact of these adapted guidelines in training courses. This is vital for enhancing mental health support and implementing effective suicide prevention strategies in Chile and Argentina.

Prevalence of suicide risk among a national sample of individuals referred from a primary care subpopulation, 2017-2020.

Over the past decade, the age-adjusted suicide rate has increased by 35.2% in the United States. In primary care, practitioners often interact with patients at risk of dying by suicide, yet little is known about the prevalence of suicide risk in primary care populations. Patient data from 2017-2020, consisting of a national sample of patients referred from primary care and enrolled in collaborative care behavioral health services (n = 37 666), were analyzed. Controlling for demographic characteristics, logistic models were used to compare suicide risk prevalence by behavioral health diagnosis. An estimated 9.96% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.65-10.27)-or approximately 3751 individuals-of the total sample screened positively for suicide risk. Compared with individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, individuals diagnosed with bipolar disorder had 8.21 times the odds (95% CI: 6.66-10.10) of screening for suicide risk. Practitioners and health care systems may benefit from adding suicide risk screeners as a standard practice for referred patients, which may lead to further development of clinical pathways and provider training. The high rate of suicide risk across the sample suggests that more research is needed to understand suicide risk prevalence across primary care and collaborative care populations.

Prevalence of suicide risk and its associated factors in patients presenting in antenatal clinic

Introduction: Suicide during the antenatal period is one of the major indirect causes of maternal death. This study aims to determine the prevalence of suicidal risk and its related factors among the patients attending the antenatal clinic of a tertiary care center.
 Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in the antenatal clinic Patan Hospital, Lalitpur, Nepal among 124 pregnant patients using purposive sampling and face-to-face interviews applying a semi-structured proforma and P4 suicide screener. Ethical approval was obtained. The percentage of patients with suicide risk was calculated and stratified into minimal, lower, and higher risk of suicide. The association between suicide risk and different sociodemographic and clinical variables was done using the Chi-square test. A p-values ≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.
 Result: The prevalence of suicide risk was 32 out of 124 patients (25.8%). When risk stratification was done a maximum of 22(17.7%) had a higher risk for suicide. The risk was associated the employment status (p=0.039), history of previous suicide attempts (p=0.04), and diagnosed mental disorder (p=0.027).
 Conclusion: Our study shows the suicide risk among antenatal females was 25.8% reaffirming the need for proper screening and referral.

Suicide risk and mental health in the general population of French Polynesia.

There are no reports on the burden of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in the general population of French Polynesia (FP). We aimed to improve suicide prevention and mental health care by assessing the prevalence of suicide risk and major mental health disorders and care among adults in FP. We conducted the Mental Health in General Population Survey in FP during 2015 to 2017. Participants were selected using the quota method to obtain a representative sample of the general population. Suicide risk and psychiatric diagnoses were assessed using the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. We included 968 people aged 18 years or older. The prevalence of current suicidal ideation (13.1%) and current (2.6%) and lifetime suicide attempts (18.6%), as well as mental health disorders (42.8%), was high in FP. A notable proportion of participants with these conditions did not seek medical assistance. A high prevalence of suicide risk and mental health disorders was found in the general population of FP. Suicide prevention and mental health plans are needed in FP that include better access to primary care for the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders. Further research is needed to clarify cultural risk and protective factors.

Hidradenitis suppurativa and suicide risk: a multivariate analysis in a disease with a high psychological burden.

BackgroundHidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a disorder that can lead to serious sequelae and important comorbidities. It has been associated with different mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety or completed suicide. The objective is to analyze the suicide risk (SR) among patients in a monographic HS consultation, as well as to establish individual association factors.MethodsPatients older than 18 years seen in our specific HS unit were consecutively included and invited to respond to the self-administered Beck hopelessness scale. Those patients with significant intellectual disabilities or severe mental health conditions, including a history of psychosis, were excluded. In addition, data related to the skin process were collected. Subsequently, it was studied whether there were significant differences between patients with absent–mild SR and those with moderate–severe SR and a logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the relationship of these variables with SR.ResultsA total of 136 patients were included in the study, 51.5% men. Of them, 21.3% presented a moderate or severe SR (score ≥ 9 in the Beck test). This risk was significantly related to having a previous or concomitant psychiatric disorder (OR = 2.586, 95% CI 1.044–6.409, p = 0.040) followed by the history of biological treatment (OR = 2.867, 95% CI 1.004–8.182, p = 0.049). The existence of other affected relatives was confirmed as a protective factor (OR = 0.377, 95% CI 0.150–0.951, p = 0.039).ConclusionsThe prevalence of SR in patients with HS is higher than that of the general Spanish population. The presence of a psychiatric disorder and the need for biological treatment are established as factors that increase SR, both of which can be interpreted as a more advanced disease. As a protective factor, the presence of other cases in the family is established, which suggests a greater normalization of the disease.

Anxiety and Suicide Risk Among Youths in the Emergency Department

Source: Powell DS, Lanzillo EC, Jay, SY, et al. Self-reported symptoms of anxiety predict positive suicide risk screening in adolescents presenting to the emergency department. Pediatric Emergency Care. 2022;38(1):22-25; doi:10.1097/PEC.0000000000002234Investigators from multiple institutions conducted a prospective study to assess the prevalence of patient-reported anxiety symptoms among youths presenting to pediatric EDs and the association of anxiety symptoms with suicide risk. Study participants were youths 10-21 presenting to the ED of 3 urban pediatric teaching hospitals in the US. Demographic information was collected on study participants. Patients were classified as presenting to the ED with a medical/surgical or psychiatric chief complaint. Suicide risk was assessed based on participant responses to the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ) and the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions (ASQ). SIQ is a 30-item instrument that assesses severity of suicidal thoughts in the past month; a 15-item version was administered to children <15 years old. ASQ is a 4-item, yes/no questionnaire designed to assess recent suicidal thoughts and lifetime suicidal behavior. Study youths were classified as having a positive screen for suicide risk based on threshold scores on these questionnaires. Participants also were categorized as having anxiety symptoms or depressive mood, a potential confounder, based on a single yes/no question for each. The primary study outcomes were suicide risk and rate of anxiety symptoms; differences between psychiatric and medical/surgical patients were assessed with chi-square tests. Logistic regression analyses were used to assess the independent association between anxiety symptoms and suicide risk; demographic characteristics were included in the models, and depressive mood also was included as a covariate. Separate analyses included all participants in the groups of psychiatric and medical/surgical patients.Data were analyzed on 522 youths with a mean age of 15.3 ±2.6 years; 344 (65.9%) participants presented with a medical/surgical chief complaint and 178 (34.1%) with a psychiatric problem. Overall, 151 (28.9%) screened positive for suicide risk; psychiatric patients were significantly more likely to screen positive than those with a medical/surgical chief complaint (65.7% vs 9.9%; P <0.001). Similarly, 29.9% of participants had anxiety symptoms, including 54.5% of psychiatric and 16.9% of medical/surgical patients (P <0.001). In the logistical model including all study youths, anxiety symptoms (OR, 5.18; 95% CI, 3.06, 8.76), depressive mood (OR, 14.94; 95% CI, 8.56, 26.07), and female sex (OR, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.32, 0.96) were independent predictors for screening positive for suicide risk. In the model including youths presenting with a medical/surgical complaint, only anxiety (OR, 4.87; 95% CI, 2.09, 11.36) and depressive mood (OR, 6.7; 95% CI, 2.49, 18.03) were independently associated with a positive screen for suicide risk. Anxiety symptoms and depressive mood also were significantly associated with a positive screen for suicide risk in psychiatric patients.The authors conclude that suicidal ideation and anxiety symptoms are prevalent among youths presenting to pediatric EDs.Dr Doolittle has disclosed no financial relationship relevant to this commentary. This commentary does not contain a discussion of an unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.While the primary aim of the current investigators was to evaluate the association of anxiety and depression with suicidal risk, the study results reveal the widespread prevalence of mental health issues among adolescents presenting to the ED. Suicide was the second leading cause of death, behind accidents, among youths between 10-24 years old, with 6,759 deaths in 2017.1 While more than one-third of all adolescents presenting to the ED do so with a primary mental health disorder, the prevalence of suicide risk and anxiety also was quite high among medical/surgical study patients (1 in 6 patients). The study results emphasize the need to equip EDs with robust mental health resources. Further, the findings highlight the importance of expanding community-based mental health services, so that patients do not need to present to the ED.Although the current investigators evaluated adolescents presenting to the ED, at some point during adolescence, the prevalence of passive suicidal ideation is 22.2%, serious suicidal ideation is 9.8%, and suicide attempt is 6.7%.2 The prevalence of any anxiety disorder is 31.9% and major depressive disorder 12.0%.3 Mental health issues are challenging for health care providers to diagnose and treat. For example, less than 50% of adolescents with depression receive treatment.3 The pervasiveness of suicidal risk and anxiety among adolescents alerts healthcare providers to the importance of screening and careful inquiry into mental health issues for all patients.Symptoms of anxiety, depression, and suicide risk are prevalent among adolescents presenting to the ED. Patients with severe anxiety are at greater risk of endorsing suicidality.The results of the current study may reflect the heightened levels of psychological distress associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.4 The narrow geographic sample and cross-sectional design, however, limit the generalizability of the results of the current study. (S AAP Grand Rounds. 2022;47[3]:30.)5

Fatalism, Emotional Regulation, and Suicide Risk in Colombian Adults During the SAR-Cov-2 Disease Epidemic.

The current pandemic of Severe Acute Syndrome (SAR-CoV-2) is a public health problem with implications for mental health. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of suicide risk and its association with fatalism and emotional regulation during SARS-CoV-2 in Colombia's adult population. A cross-sectional study was designed, an online format was used, which evaluated sociodemographic variables, CES-D-SI, the Fatalism Questionnaire against COVID-19, and the Emotional Regulation Scale. 435 Colombian adults participated, aged between 18 and 79years. A prevalence of suicide risk was found in 5.3%, and it was associated with the interaction between living in rural area and less education (OR = 5.60, 95%CI 1.28-24.53), emotional dysregulation (OR = 3.54, 95%CI 1.77-7.09), and fatalistic beliefs (OR = 3.09, 95%CI 1.53-6.27). 5.3% of the population presented an elevated suicide risk. It was associated with less education, rural areas, fatalistic beliefs, and emotional dysregulation in the Colombian population during mandatory confinement due to SAR-CoV-2.

Elder Suicide: What Senior Care Pharmacists Need to Know.

Older individual suicide is a growing community health problem in the United States. It is also preventable, and senior care pharmacists can increase awareness of the prevalence of suicide risk in older patients. Despite high exposure to many serious suicide risk factors and a high rate of suicide mortality, older people tend to be overlooked in suicide prevention efforts that lean mostly toward younger age groups. Senior care pharmacists can help remedy this situation by monitoring reports on older patients for possible signs of suicidality, alerting the care team if signs of potential suicide risk are present, and adding suicide prevention information to their education and counseling roles. An understanding of the nature of older individual suicide, the warning and danger signs of suicidality in older people and how and when to respond is needed. Providing this background would assure that senior care pharmacists have the skills and confidence necessary to embed suicide prevention in their practice.

A Large Sample Survey of Suicide Risk among University Students in China

BackgroundThis study aimed to examine suicide ideation, suicide attempts, and suicide risk by examining a large sample of Chinese university students and identify the predictive factors, including depressive and anxiety symptoms, for suicide attempt and suicide risk.MethodsWe recruited 6,836 students (aged 18–30) based on all students enrolled in 2016 from one university using cluster sampling. They completed four questionnaires: the Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and the Suicidal Behaviors Questionnaire-Revised were used to measure suicide risk, and students’ depressive/anxiety symptoms were estimated using Patient Health Questionnaire and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale.ResultsFour major findings emerged. First, 18% of the students showed high suicide ideation, 14.5% showed suicide risk, 18.8% had suicide plans, and 1% had attempted suicide. Second, a weak sense of life’s value was common among university students, as 61.4% of students considered suicide as a way to end or evade problems. Third, the results of the binary logistic regression showed that education, suicide ideation, including the wish to die, attitude toward suicide, specificity/planning of suicide, and deception or concealment of contemplated suicide were predictive factors of suicide attempt and suicide risk. The variable “deterrents to active attempt” was also a predictive factor of suicide risk. Fourth, depressive and anxiety symptoms did not significantly predict suicide attempts or suicide risk. Only 10.8% and 5.6% of the students had self-reported scores above the clinical cut-off points for depression and anxiety, respectively.ConclusionsThis study highlighted the prevalence of suicide risk among Chinese university students. The high risk of suicide may not only be due to affective disorders, but also a weak sense of life’s value or other reasons. Suicide ideation that significantly predicts suicide risk can be used for suicide risk assessment. Universities should provide appropriate life education and suicide prevention and intervention such as teaching instructors gate-keeper skills.

Biopsychosocial predictors of suicide risk in patients with interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

The impact of interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS) is prevalent and severe. Studies examining the IC/BPS prevalence and predictors of suicide risk are limited by their lack of theoretically relevant suicide research variables. This research reports suicide risk prevalence and its biopsychosocial predictors for a community IC/BPS sample. Self-identified female patients suffering from IC/BPS (n=813; 18-80 years, mean 46.60, standard deviation [SD] 14.10) recruited from online IC/BPS support groups completed measures of demographic, pain, symptoms, and psychosocial variables. Descriptive statistics, correlations, and multivariable logistic regressions examined prevalence, variable associations, and suicide risk prediction. Suicide risk prevalence was 38.1%. Suicide risk was associated with greater odds for exposure to suicide, psychache, hopelessness, and perceived burdensomeness to others. Further, examining suicide risk by levels of pain showed that exposure to suicide and hopelessness were consistent suicide risk predictors across pain levels; psychache for lower levels of pain, depression in moderate levels of pain, and perceived burdensomeness in moderate and severe pain levels. The high prevalence of suicide risk is alarming and signifies an imperative for recognizing this risk within the IC/BPS population. The identified psychosocial risk factors may be used in refining screening and treatment, and in directing future IC/BPS research.

Childhood trauma, depression, resilience and suicide risk in individuals with inflammatory bowel disease.

Despite the prevalence of suicide risk in inflammatory bowel disease populations, research has yet to examine associations between childhood trauma, resilience, depression and suicide risk. In the present online study, 172 participants responded to measures of childhood trauma, resilience, depression and suicide risk. A moderated mediation revealed that resilience does not moderate the associations between childhood trauma, depressive symptoms and suicide risk. However, a serial mediation revealed that childhood trauma is associated with decreased resilience, which is related to higher depressive symptoms, and ultimately higher suicide risk, thus suggesting resilience and depression as significant intervention targets.

Suicide Prevention in HIV Treatment Centres: Population Attributable Risk Analysis of Treating Common Mental Disorders.

The aim was to establish the potential reduction in non-fatal suicidal behaviour (NFSB) that could be achieved by treating common mental disorders (CMDs) among persons receiving HIV treatment. Data were collected from antiretroviral therapy (ART) patients in South Africa (n = 688). Structured Clinical Interviews assessed CMDs and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview assessed 1-month prevalence of NFSB and suicide risk. Population Attributable Risk (PAR) analysis established the potential reduction in prevalence of NFSB and suicide risk that could be achieved by treating CMDs, with the simplifying assumption of a causal relationship between psychopathology and suicidality. Treating CMDs could result in as much as a 63.9% proportional reduction in the prevalence of suicide ideation, 84.2% proportional reduction in the prevalence of suicide plan, and 63.4% proportional decrease in prevalence of suicide risk. There is potential to significantly reduce NFSB among ART patients. Pragmatic trials are needed to evaluate the effects of treating CMDs in HIV treatment centres.

Generalized anxiety disorder and prevalence of suicide risk among medical students

Abstract: Introduction: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common pathology in modern life. Furthermore, Brazil ranks among one of the countries in Latin America with the highest increase in the number of suicides. Objective: The goal of this study is to evaluate the prevalence of GAD and suicide risk and their association in medical students from Belém - PA. Methods: The observational, cross-sectional and quantitative study included undergraduate medical students attending the 1st, 3rd and 5th years of Universidade do Estado do Pará as subjects of this research, totaling 153 students. It used a protocol created by the authors and the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. The software BioEstat® 5.3 was used to perform the statistical analysis. Results: 52 (32,7%) of the 159 students have GAD and 48 (30,2%) pose a suicide risk, of which 18 have a mild risk (11,3%), 17 a moderate risk (10,7%) and 13 a high risk (8,2%). 46,7% and 50% of the 1st and 3rd-year students, respectively, have higher risk of suicide, which could be related to the competition faced during the University admission process and also during the first years of the clinical cycle. Of the 5th year students who pose a suicide risk, only 21,7% have high risk. Conclusion: It can be observed that GAD and suicide risk show high prevalence among medical students, which has to be investigated and treated aiming to reduce the impacts of those disorders on health professionals and students.

Suicide risk and prematurity: A study with pregnant adolescents

ObjectiveTo verify the association between mood and anxiety disorders, and suicide risk during pregnancy and their relationship with premature birth in a population of pregnant adolescents attending prenatal care in the public health system of Pelotas, a southern city in Brazil. MethodsThis was a cohort study with all pregnant adolescents attending antenatal public services in the urban area of Pelotas between October 2009 and May 2011. The first assessment occurred between the 20th and 22 nd week of pregnancy and the second occurred one month after delivery. We used the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) to assess mood and anxiety disorders and suicide risk. ResultsA total of 645 pregnant women aged between 12 and 19 years old were interviewed. An anxiety disorder was present in 9.1% of the pregnant adolescent, and 28.5% had a mood disorder. The prevalence of suicide risk was 12.6%, and 15.3% of the babies were born premature. A multivariate analysis adjusted for maternal education, number of previous pregnancies and previous preterm birth indicated that adolescents who had suicide risk during pregnancy were approximately twice as likely to give birth prematurely when compared to those who were not diagnosed with suicide risk (PR 1.79; CI 1.06–3.03). ConclusionOur findings suggest that pregnant adolescents who were at risk of suicide during pregnancy were more likely to have premature babies. It is important to pay attention to the mental health of this specific population to prevent obstetric complications and consequently improve the health of the children.

Prevalence of suicidal behaviour and violence among young people

Abstract Background Violence and suicidal behaviour among young people is an enormous public mental health issue in Europe and worldwide leading to poor mental health outcomes, increased use of healthcare services and loss of life. Specifically, vulnerable are young people especially in societies were prevalence of violence and suicide rates are considerably high. Public mental health of young people in Lithuania is of a great concern due high prevalence of various determinants resulting in poor public mental health outcomes and high suicide rates. This study aimed to identify the prevalence of violence and suicidal behaviour as well as use of health care services among 15-29 years of age young population in Lithuania. Methods A cross sectional survey involving 1007 respondents aged 15-29 years in Lithuania was conducted in 2016. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were applied. Results 39.7% (95% CI: 34.3-45.2) of young people in Lithuania referred to have suicidal behaviour during the last 12 months, 39.5% (95% CI: 34.1-44.9) of respondents had suicidal ideations, 13.4% (95% CI: 9.7-17.1) - made plans for suicide and 2.1% (95% CI: 0.6-3.7) attempted to commit suicide during the last 12 months. Prevalence of suicide risk was very similar in both gender groups. 27.5% of young people reported experience of psychological violence, 7.26% - physical violence and 4.3% - sexual harassment within the last year. Experienced violence increases risk of suicidal behaviour from 1.85 times in case of psychological violence to 3.79 time in case of physical violence. Young adults who had suicidal behaviour and experienced violence tend to call emergency medical services and were hospitalized more often. Conclusions Experienced physical, psychological and sexual violence is related to higher risk of suicidal behaviour. Suicide prevention strategies should consider violence prevention and vigilance of health care system to address suicidal behaviour.

Socioeconomic determinants of suicide risk: Monroe County Florida Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey, 2016

BackgroundSocioeconomic factors have been linked to suicide, but little research has explored the effects of these determinants on suicide risk in US populations. This population-based study assessed socioeconomic determinants of suicide risk to inform suicide assessment and intervention. MethodSecondary analysis of the Monroe County Florida 2016 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey suicide behavior questions among adult residents (n = 528). Univariate analysis and logistic regression assessed associations of self-reported socioeconomic status (education, employment, income, housing), health care access, quality of life, substance use, mental illness and suicide risk. Result(s)Among respondents, 7.34% (n = 49, CI = 4.27–10.41) were at risk for suicide. Persons at risk reported more depression (χ2 [1, n = 417] = 105.5, p = .001), poorer mental health (χ2 [2, n = 411] = 36.6, p = .001), and more activity limitation due to health (χ2 [1, n = 408] = 34.3, p = .001) than those not at risk. Persons at risk were more likely to be renting homes (63.5%, n = 19, CI = 43.53–80.52) than persons not at risk (36.9%, n = 86, CI = 28.53–43.29). Limitations32% missing data supports replication of study findings using larger data sets. Maximum likelihood estimation handled missing data in regression analyses. Low prevalence of suicide risk required collapsing some conceptually different categories. Conclusion(s)Housing was a stronger socioeconomic predictor of suicide risk than income, employment, or education. This finding supports exploring housing status in suicide assessment and research.