Suicide In Young Adults Research Articles

Create Solidarity Networks: Dialogs in Reddit to Overcome Depression and Suicidal Ideation among Males.

The emerging scientific literature examines masculinity and gender roles as risk factors for suicide ideation or suicide in young adults and adolescents. In this vein, recent studies show that certain traditional masculine norms are related to poorer mental health-related outcomes, which influences suicide and suicide ideation. This study contributes with new understandings about the associations between masculinity and suicidal ideation among males through Reddit debates in English. The posts with more interactions referring to masculinity in the topics gender and education have been selected on Reddit, emphasizing transformative personal experiences potentially helping avoid suicide ideation. Through the analysis of Reddit posts, it is shown how users can generate spaces to express the diverse ways to live with masculinity. The discussions on Reddit in the different areas selected demonstrate the existence of proposals on how to overcome fears and facilitate relaxation of norms regarding self-reliance to encourage help-seeking when feeling depressed and therefore at greater risk of suicide ideation. The results highlight the potential importance of platforms such as Reddit to create solidarity networks, showing multiple ways of being a man and demystifying dominant masculinity by sharing different experiences.

Feasibility and Acceptability of a Patient Navigation Intervention to Prevent Suicide in LGBTQ Youth and Young Adults

Abstract Background Across Western countries, young LGBTQ+ individuals are at a four to seven-fold increased risk of attempting suicide, compared to the general public. Despite these substantial health disparities, no known empirically supported suicide prevention programs exist for this highly vulnerable population. Patient navigation (PN), as an intervention to assist people in overcoming barriers to care, paired with the Safety Planning Intervention (SPI), may be a promising intervention to target mechanisms (e.g., thwarted belongingness and suicide-related coping skills) that theoretically underlie suicide. The purpose of this presentation is to describe the developed intervention and present initial data on its feasibility and acceptability. Methods In collaboration with a Participatory Planning Group (PPG), an iterative process was used to develop a PN+SPI intervention to prevent suicide among at-risk LGBTQ+ youth and young adults. A mixed-methods case series was used to examine feasibility and acceptability of implementing the PN+SPI intervention over a three-month period of time. Results Theoretical models regarding suicidality and LGBTQ+ mental health along with PPG feedback have informed the development of the PN+SPI intervention, with 7 modules included in feasibility evaluation: 1) Introduction + SPI; 2) Minority Stress Psychoeducation; 3) Barriers to Mental Health Services; 4) Barriers to Community Resources; 5) Decision Making; 6) Crisis Intervention; and 7) Wrap Up. Conclusions This project has the potential for reducing mortality and morbidity due to suicide attempts among LGBTQ+ youth/emerging adults, who are one of the most vulnerable groups for attempting suicide globally. Given the brevity of the PN+SPI intervention and its emphasis on safety planning and accessing community resources, the PN+SPI intervention has high potential for wide dissemination and public health impact, should it demonstrate feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy.

3.3 ONE EXAMPLE STATE: THE IMPACT OF MISSOURI’S FIREARM LAW CHANGES ON RATES OF YOUTH SUICIDE BY FIREARMS

Attendees will be able to: 1) describe a timeline of Missouri’s firearm laws; 2) discuss the impact of Missouri’s firearm law changes on adolescent and young adult suicide rates; and 3) understand the synthetic control method that is used to assess the impact of policies on public health outcomes. The presenter will: 1) describe the timeline of Missouri’s firearm laws from 1999 to 2018; 2) review the literature on impacts of Missouri’s permit-to-purchase (PTP) law and concealed carry law change on suicide rates; and 3) discuss results of her cross-sectional study assessing the impact of Missouri’s firearm law changes on adolescent and young adult suicide rates. In 2007, Missouri repealed its permit to purchase law, which removed an additional background check for prohibited persons to obtain firearms. Missouri lowered the legal age to obtain a concealed carry permit from 23 to 21 years in 2011 and further lowered the age to 19 years old in 2014. In 2017, Missouri enacted a law allowing gun owners to carry concealed firearms in most public places without a permit. Repeal of Missouri’s permit to purchase law was associated with a 21.8% increase in firearm suicide rates in young adults in Missouri. Lowering the minimum age of concealed carry to 19 years in Missouri was associated with a 32% increase in firearm suicide rates and a 29.7% increase in nonfirearm suicide rates in adolescents aged 14-18 years and a 7.2% increase in firearm suicide rates in young adults aged 19-24 years. Increases in rates of suicide by firearms in adolescents and young adults were seen following the repeal of Missouri’s PTP law and the lowering of the minimum age for concealed carry in 2014. Changes in Missouri’s firearm policies are likely an important contributor to rates of suicide by firearm in young Missouri residents. Missouri is one important example of how sequential weakening of firearm laws can impact statewide adolescent and young adult suicide rates.

Risk factors associated with suicide in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer.

BackgroundHigher rates of death by suicide are recognized both in individuals of any age with cancer and, separately, among adolescents and young adults (AYA) without cancer. Given this intersection, identifying risk factors associated with suicidal risk among AYA with cancer is critical.ObjectiveTo identify characteristics associated with suicide among AYA with cancer.MethodsA retrospective analysis of AYA (aged 15–39) during 1975–2016 from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was conducted. Clinical and demographic factors associated with death by suicide among the AYA cancer population were compared to (i) US population normative data (standardized mortality ratios [SMRs]) and (ii) other AYA individuals with cancer (odds ratios).ResultsIn total, 922 suicides were found in 500,366 AYA with cancer (0.18%), observed for 3,198,261 person‐years. The SMR for AYA with cancer was 34.1 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 31.4–36.9). Suicide risk was particularly high in females (SMR = 43.4, 95% CI: 37.2–50.4), unmarried persons (SMR = 50.6, 95% CI: 44.7–57.1), those with metastatic disease (SMR = 45.2, 95% CI: 33.1–60.3), or certain histological subtypes (leukemia, central nervous system, and soft tissue sarcoma). Risk generally reduced over time, however remained elevated ≥5 years following a cancer diagnosis (SMR > 5 years = 28.1, 95% CI: 25.4–31.0). When comparing those who died from suicide and those who did not, the following factors demonstrated significant associations: sex (males > females), race (White ethnicity > Black/other ethnicity), relationship status (never married > other), and disease stage (distant > localized).ConclusionsDeath due to suicide/non‐accidental injury is high compared to normative data, requiring increased awareness among health‐care providers, suicide risk monitoring in AYA, and appropriately tailored psychosocial interventions.

English

BACKGROUND Suicide attempts in young adults in the age group 18 - 25 years have grown exponentially across the globe in the last three decades. Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young adults worldwide and is the second leading cause of death in 15 – 29-year-olds. The studies on the factors affecting suicidal intent among young adult suicide attempters are few from the Indian context and young adult group is of utmost importance. So, this study was done to estimate the suicidal intent among young adult suicide attempters and to assess the various factors associated with suicidal intent among young adults. METHODS The study was an analytical cross-sectional study, which was carried out at the Suicide Prevention Clinic of the Department of Psychiatry at a Tertiary Care Centre in Kerala, India over a period of 1 year from October 2015 to September 2016. The consecutive 160 young adult suicide attempters were interviewed. Beck’s suicide intent scale was used to assess the severity of suicide attempts. Statistical significance of socio-demographic factors and suicidal intent score was assessed by independent student t test and one way analysis of variance (ANOVA). RESULTS Out of the 160 participants, 50 (31.2 %) had low suicidal intent, 71 (44.4 %) had medium suicidal intent and 39 (24.4 %) had high suicidal intent. The study showed significant association between marital status (t = 2.515, P = 0.011), Occupation (F = 7.991, P < 0.001), previous suicide attempt (t = - 2.586, P = 0.011), mode of attempt (F = 7.228, P < 0.001) and psychiatric disorder (F = 11.218, P < 0.001) with the suicidal intent score. The study has found a significant association between the caregiver and suicidal intent score (F = 4.339, P = 0.006) which needs to be researched further. CONCLUSIONS Our study showed significant association between the socio-demographic variables like occupation, marital status, caregiver, mode of attempt, previous attempt and psychiatric diagnosis with the suicidal intent scores of young adult suicide attempters attending the suicide prevention clinic. This finding throws light to the factors contributing to high suicidal intent among young adults. The suicidal rates among the young adults are on the rise and we as the health professionals should be aware of these factors which will help in preventing young adult suicides. KEYWORDS Suicidal Intent, Young Adults, Suicide Prevention Clinic, Suicidal Behaviour, Kerala

Preventing Adolescent and Young Adult Suicide: Do States With Greater Mental Health Treatment Capacity Have Lower Suicide Rates?

PurposeYouth suicide is increasing at a significant rate and is the second leading cause of death for adolescents. There is an urgent public health need to address the youth suicide. The objective of this study is to determine whether adolescents and young adults residing in states with greater mental health treatment capacity exhibited lower suicide rates than states with less treatment capacity. MethodsWe conducted a state-level analysis of mental health treatment capacity and suicide outcomes for adolescents and young adults aged 10–24 spanning 2002–2017 using data from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and other sources. Multivariable linear fixed-effects regression models tested the relationships among mental health treatment capacity and the total suicide, firearm suicide, and nonfirearm suicide rates per 100,000 persons aged 10–24. ResultsWe found a statistically significant inverse relationship between nonfirearm suicide and mental health treatment capacity (p = .015). On average, a 10% increase in a state’s mental health workforce capacity was associated with a 1.35% relative reduction in the nonfirearm suicide rate for persons aged 10–24. There was no significant relationship between mental health treatment capacity and firearm suicide. ConclusionsGreater mental health treatment appears to have a protective effect of modest magnitude against nonfirearm suicide among adolescents and young adults. Our findings underscore the importance of state-level efforts to improve mental health interventions and promote mental health awareness. However, firearm regulations may provide greater protective effects against this most lethal method of firearm suicide.

Suicide Prevention: University Students' Narratives on Their Reasons for Living and for Dying.

Social isolation and loneliness are increasing in our contemporary western society and seem to correlate with suicide in adolescents and young adults. Social Workers are a potential resource to create such initiatives and projects that promote inclusion and cohesion within communities, a protective factor against suicide. Sixty-two Social Work BA students participated in a Death Education course based on education on suicide prevention. Participants carried out two activities. First, they were invited to complete two written semi-structured interviews on young people’s reasons for living and dying. Second, they were invited to design suicide prevention interventions targeted at their peers and adolescents. Data were analyzed qualitatively within the Thematic Analysis framework. As regards the first activity, four main themes were identified: (1) Internet and social media; (2) social isolation and loneliness; (3) the importance of proximal relationships; and, (4) the importance of networking between proximal relationships, educational institutions and mental health services. Whereas, as for suicide prevention interventions, three main ideas were identified: (1) suicide prevention through community and networking between services; (2) academic institutions: high schools and universities; and, (3) suicide prevention through new technologies. To conclude, Death Education as education on suicide prevention can offer young people a space in which to voice their and their peers’ reasons for living and dying and to reflect upon their contribution to suicide prevention as students and as future professionals.

Suicide in colombian adolescents and young adults between 2015–2020: a contribution of nursing to disciplinary analysis

Objective: To conduct a literature search on suicide in Colombian adolescents and young adults between 2015– 2020 in the light of nursing analysis. Method: A qualitative, retrospective, cross-sectional documentary review of published articles on suicide in Colombian adolescents and young adults between 2015–2020. A database was built in Excel 2019 with the information collected, the main ideas of the articles were summarized and then the data were grouped by categories. Results: The field of Psychology is the most involved in studies on suicide in Colombia. Therefore, a theoretical gap was found in the field of Nursing. Documents related to protective factors are scarce, compared with the ones on risk factors. Affective ties and support from family and friends are the most important protective factors. With regard to the risk factors related to suicide, family dysfunction and a bad relationship with the family were the most salient. In the articles found, the use of the Positive and Negative Suicide Ideation (PANSI) inventory predominated. Conclusions: The challenge for nursing professionals, as care agents, is to be leaders in addressing suicidal spectrum behaviors, putting into practice the metaparadigm of the discipline, as these concepts assist in detecting changes in the physical and mental health of young people and taking preventive action. The outlook of the health sector must go beyond risk assessment and be directed towards strengthening the positive and protective aspects for young people according to the salutogenic approach.

Suicide in young Brazilian adults: 1997-2019 time series.

This study aimed to analyze the time series of suicide mortality in Brazilian young adults between 1997 and 2019. This is an ecological study on time series with individuals aged 20 to 29 years. The Prais-Winsten regression was used for trend analysis. The mean suicide coefficient in young Brazilians was 6.36/100 thousand inhabitants in the period, showing increasing overall, females, and male trends. Regarding marital status, there was a higher proportion of suicide among single people (79.02%). As for the Brazilian regions, the South presented the highest mean mortality coefficient (9.18/100 thousand inhabitants), and the Northeast, North, and Southeast regions showed an increasing trend. Most deaths occured at home (54.93%), and there was an increasing trend both at home, at health establishments, and other places. We conclude that the suicide trend in Brazilian young adults was increasing in the period, with more significant proportions among single people. Brazilian regions showed different trends, and households, health facilities, and other locations followed an increasing trend toward suicide deaths in young adults.

A Cross-sectional Study on Coping Styles and Suicidal Intent among Young Adult Suicide Attempters at a Tertiary Care Centre in Kerala, India

Introduction: Suicide attempts in young adults have grown exponentially across the globe in the last three decades. Suicide is one of the most common cause of death among young adults worldwide. The studies on the coping styles influencing suicidal intent among young adult suicide attempters are few from the Indian context. Young adults are of utmost importance in any nation and interventions for suicide prevention have to be undertaken at different levels. Aim: To estimate the coping styles and suicidal intent among young adult suicide attempters and to assess the various coping styles associated with the suicidal intent. Materials and Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study, which was carried out at the Suicide Prevention Clinic of the Department of Psychiatry at a Tertiary Care Centre in Kerala, India over a period of one year from October 2015 to September 2016. The consecutive 160 young adult suicide attempters were interviewed. Beck’s Suicide Intent Scale was used to assess the severity of suicide attempts. The coping styles of the participants were assessed using the Ways of Coping Questionnaire-Revised (WCQ-R) Scale. Statistical significance of socio-demographic factors, suicidal intent and coping styles were assessed by Independent Student t-test and One-way Analysis of variance (ANOVA). The correlation between the severity of suicidal intent and the coping styles were assessed using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The mean age of the participants were 21.75±2.69 years. The sample consisted of 72 (45%) males and 88 (55%) females. Out of the 160 participants, 50 (31.2%) had low suicidal intent, 71 (44.4%) had medium suicidal intent and 39 (24.4%) had high suicidal intent. The present study found that all the coping strategies except the escape avoidance and positive reappraisal are having significant association with the severity of suicidal intent with p<0.05. This study also found that seeking social support (r=-0.284, p<0.001), accepting responsibility (r=-0.344, p<0.001) and planned problem solving (r=-0.333, p<0.001) were coping styles which have a protective role in preventing suicidal behaviour by reducing the suicidal intent. Conclusion: This study had found significant correlation between the various coping styles and suicidal intent among the young adult suicide attempters in Kerala. The present study also found significant association between previous suicide attempt and co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis with the coping scores.

A Comprehensive Approach to Mental Health Promotion and Suicide Prevention for Colleges and Universities: Insights from the JED Campus Program.

Suicide rates have risen among young people ages 18–25 in the United States over the past ten years (see Figure 1) [1]. Mental health concerns are on the rise as well, with more teens and young adults experiencing challenges such as anxiety and depression than in years and generations past [2,3]. Almost 30 percent of young adults ages 18–25 have had a diagnosable mental illness, and 9 percent have a serious mental illness, demonstrating a peak in past-year prevalence in this age range compared to older age ranges (see Figure 2) [4]. The median age of onset of most reported mental health problems occurs before age 25 [5,6]. Open in a separate window FIGURE 1 U.S. Teen and Young Adult Suicide Rates SOURCE: CDC/WISQARS, 2021

Cohort Profile: Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD).

The Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) was designed to examine the long-term associations of preschool physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development with biopsychosocial development across childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. QLSCD is an ongoing prospective cohort including 2120 singletons born in 1997/1998 in the Canadian province of Quebec. So far, data have been collected annually or every 2years from child ages 5months to 21years. The cohort currently includes 1245 participants. Data available include a range of environmental (e.g., family characteristics, child behaviour, educational attainment, mental health), biological (e.g., hair cortisol, genetic, epigenetic), and administrative data. QLSCD has contributed to the understanding of children's psychosocial development, including the development of physical aggression and anxiety. QLSCD articles have advanced scientific knowledge on the influence of early childhood factors on childhood, adolescent, and young adult mental health, including the effect of participation in early childcare on cognitive and behavioural development, the developmental origins of adolescent and young adult mental health problems and suicide risk, and the development of interpersonal difficulties (e.g., peer victimisation) from preschool years to adolescence. QLSCD has given major contributions to our understanding of the link between different aspects of child development and biopsychosocial development during the first two decades of life. Unique features include the presence of environmental, biological, and administrative data, long-term follow-up with frequent data collections, and use of data from multiple informants, including teachers, mothers, fathers, and the children themselves.

Increased burden of cardiovascular risk among youth suicide attempters.

Suicide and cardiovascular disease rank among the leading causes of disability and premature mortality worldwide. Young adult suicide attempters are at increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease even compared to those with major depressive disorder suggesting an increased burden of cardiovascular risk factors. We compared the cardiovascular risk burden between youth attempters and other high-risk individuals. Participants were from the Collaborative Psychiatric Epidemiology Surveys (CPES), a U.S. population-based study, aged 18-30 years [suicide attempt (SA): n = 303; suicidal ideation (SI): n = 451; controls: n = 3671]; and psychiatric inpatients admitted for a SA (n = 38) or SI (n = 40) and healthy controls (n = 37) aged 15-30 years. We computed a cardiovascular risk score and high- and low-risk latent classes based on risk factors of high blood pressure, obesity, and smoking. Suicide attempters showed an increased cardiovascular risk score (CPES: B = 0.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.31-0.54, p < 0.001; inpatient sample: B = 1.61, 95% CI 0.53-2.68, p = 0.004) compared to controls. They were also more likely to be classified in the high cardiovascular risk group (CPES: odds ratio (OR) 3.36, 95% CI 1.67-6.78, p = 0.001; inpatient sample: OR 9.89, 95% CI 1.38-85.39, p = 0.03) compared to those with SI (CPES: OR 1.15, 95% CI 0.55-2.39, p = 0.71; inpatient sample: OR 1.91, 95% CI 0.25-15.00, p = 0.53). Youth attempters show an increased burden for cardiovascular risk compared to other high-risk individuals in inpatient and population-based samples. Clinicians should pay particular attention to cardiovascular risk factors among suicide attempters in order to reduce their risk for cardiovascular events.

Youth Suicide Rate Increases by Nearly 60%

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Clinical & ResearchFull AccessYouth Suicide Rate Increases by Nearly 60%Katie O'ConnorKatie O'ConnorSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:7 Oct 2020https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2020.10b13AbstractExperts warn of worsening mental health among adolescents and young adults as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.At the end of June, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) surveyed Americans to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their mental health. The survey revealed that a quarter of respondents aged 18 to 24 had seriously considered suicide in the past 30 days (Psychiatric News).The pandemic may exacerbate an existing crisis within the country: youth suicide. The rate of suicide among adolescents and young adults aged 10 to 24 increased by 57.4% between 2007 and 2018, according to a CDC report issued last month.Child and adolescent psychiatrists have been working on ways to address this disturbing trend, which has also been evidenced in rates among Black youth (see Psychiatric News), said Gabrielle Shapiro, M.D., chair of APA’s Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families. “A major obstacle has been the contagion of media romanticization of suicide,” she said. Additionally, widespread use of platforms such as Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and Twitter, among others, has led to increased concerns that cyberbullying may be precipitating some of the suicidal behaviors.“Overall, young people are, at times, very impulsive, and they may be suffering from untreated mental illness,” said Tresha Gibbs, M.D., a member of APA’s Council on Children, Adolescents, and Their Families. “We know that a lot of young people who need care are not getting it.”“The pandemic increases the urgency to address [youth suicide] because it is exacerbating preexisting stressors and risk factors for suicide, in addition to preexisting disparities in access to care.” —Tresha Gibbs, M.D.Feeling hopeless, Gibbs said, likely plays a role in the increasing rate, as well. “Many populations do not feel they are experiencing the American dream right now. We can’t get away from the fact that there is just so much inequality in the U.S. that it creates this extra stress—the stress of poverty and the stress of lack of opportunities.”According to the CDC, the states with the highest rates of adolescent and young adult suicide from 2016 to 2018 were concentrated in the West, including Montana, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Wyoming. States with the lowest rates were largely in the Northeast, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island.Gibbs hypothesized that stricter gun laws in the Northeast may provide some explanation as to why rates of suicide were lower there compared with the rest of the country. “At the end of the day, we need to do more to decrease access to lethal means,” she said. She added that access to lethal medications and substances is also an area of concern. “You start to wonder: How long is it going to take our society to take drastic steps to protect young people from hurting themselves?”She pointed to interventions such as increased screening and early identification of at-risk youth, community crisis support, and culturally sensitive treatment to reduce suicide among youth.“Our society, as well as the entire world, has been traumatized by the COVID-19 pandemic,” Shapiro said. More people are experiencing symptoms of stress and trauma. “Focused and informed treatment for individuals and groups through integrated programs in schools and communities would be a great method to try to assist Americans and minimize the long-term impact of the pandemic.”Shapiro noted that the APA Foundation’s Notice. Talk. Act. at School program is an excellent resource for school personnel who interact with children in their communities.Pervasive negative attitudes and lack of knowledge about mental illness are obstacles to preventing the death of children and adolescents by suicide. “We must erase the stigma to save these young lives,” Shapiro said. ■“State Suicide Rates Among Adolescents and Young Adults Aged 10-24: United States, 2000-2018” is posted here. ISSUES NewArchived

A rapid review of Irish Traveller mental health and suicide: a psychosocial and anthropological perspective.

Irish Travellers are an indigenous ethnic minority (IEM) with poor health outcomes. Whilst they constitute less than 1% of the Irish population, they account for 10% of national young adult male suicide statistics. A rapid review of scientific publications related to mental health and suicide in Irish Travellers was undertaken following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Searches of PubMed, PsycINFO and Google Scholar were performed. Eligibility criteria included: (i) Irish Travellers/Gypsy Travellers; (ii) information on mental health/suicide/self-harm; (iii) psychosocial anthropological perspectives of mental health; (iv) publications in english. Data on studies including design, methods, participants and key findings were extracted using a spreadsheet template. From 5160 scientific references over the past 20 years, 19 papers made reference to Traveller mental health, and only 5 papers made specific data-based reference to suicide in Travellers. It was only when we qualified Travellers as being 'Irish Travellers' in our scientific review did we detect meaningful references to their existence as an IEM, and their health and well-being. Due to sample sizes and heterogeneity in design, results were synthesised narratively. This paper draws together strands from the disciplines of psycho/socio/anthropological perspectives to gain deeper insights into mental health and suicide in Irish Travellers. In a knowledge vacuum, it behoves the scientific community to explain the value of scientific research and rigour to both policymakers as well as Travellers, shifting the existing discourse towards new knowledge and understanding around mental health and suicide in Travellers.

Reasons for Living Inventory for Young Adults: Psychometric Properties Among Portuguese Sample

A main protective factor against suicide in young adults is their reasons for living; therefore, suicide risk screening should consider these reasons. However, few psychometric instruments assess reasons for living, and none have been adapted for young adults in Portugal. Thus, we assess the psychometric characteristics of the Reasons for Living Inventory for Young Adults-II (RFL-YA-II) in participants (n = 936; Mage = 21.77; SD = 2.88) from Portugal. Participants answered measures concerning suicidal ideation, depression, hopelessness, and positive and negative affect. The results of an exploratory factorial analysis replicated the original 4-factor model of the RFL-YA-II, and a confirmatory factorial analysis indicated satisfactory indices. In terms of reliability and convergent, discriminant, and concurrent validity, our results are consistent with previous research. Moreover, our results indicate that the RFL-YA-II is a valid and reliable instrument to study the protective factors against suicidal behavior in Portuguese young adults, and should thus be integrated into preventive strategies.

JED evaluation finds colleges improving policies, programs

An evaluation of colleges and universities affiliated with the Jed Foundation (JED), a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide in teens and young adults in colleges and universities in this country, reveals evidence of improvement across programs, policies and systems change indicators that support and protect student mental health.

Social connectedness interventions for preventing suicide in young and middle-aged adults

This protocol for a Cochrane Review has been withdrawn by the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Group. The protocol was first published in 2012. Unfortunately, the authors have not been able to progress with converting this protocol into a full Cochrane Review. New authors are sought to take over this protocol.

Genetic and environmental contributions to psychopathological symptoms in adulthood: Clarifying the role of individual and parental risk factors.

Psychopathology-related suicide attempts and deaths are increasing, and the research focus remains on mental disorder in childhood and adolescence. We examined the genetic and environmental contributions to internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress to clarify the role of individual/parental risk factors for suicide in young adults. Data from 1206 young adults were obtained from a publicly available dataset from the Human Connectome Project. Heritability estimates were analyzed by twin modelling using OpenMx and data from a subsample of 402 monozygotic and dizygotic twins. The estimated prevalence of psychopathological symptoms ranged from 9 to 16%. The heritability of internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress reached significance, with estimates ranging from 22 to 46%. Shared (common) environments contributed to aggressive behavior (30 %). Determining factors for psychopathological distress (internalizing, externalizing, general) were evaluated using logistic regression analysis. Household income (<$50,000), childhood conduct problems, and maternal drug or alcohol problems were common risk factors of internalizing, externalizing, and general psychopathological distress. Marijuana dependence and maternal anxiety were additional risk factors of externalizing distress. The presence of alcohol and maternal drug or alcohol problems was linked to general psychopathological distress. The results highlight risk factors associated with psychopathological symptoms that should be considered in the early detection of high-risk groups and implementation of family-based interventions. Providing continuous care and/or follow-up in at-risk children and young adults may improve mental health and well-being.

Antidepressant Prescribing and Suicide/Self-Harm by Young Australians: Regulatory Warnings, Contradictory Advice, and Long-Term Trends.

In 2004, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) controversially issued a black box warning that antidepressants were associated with an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviours in people aged under 18 years. In 2007, the warning was expanded to include young adults aged under 25 years. In 2005, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration responded to the FDA warning by requiring Product and Consumer Information leaflets to be updated to reflect the risk. However, there was considerable debate, and at times emotive backlash, in academic journals and the international media. Prominent US and Australian mental health organisations and psychiatrists challenged the FDA warning. They argued that, on balance, antidepressant use was likely to reduce the risk of suicide. Several ecological studies were cited misleadingly as evidence that decreasing antidepressant use increases suicide risk. From 2008 to 2018, Australian per-capita child, adolescent and young adult antidepressant dispensing (0–27 years of age) and suicide (0–24 years) rates have increased approximately 66% and 49%, respectively. In addition, there was a 98% increase in intentional poisonings among 5 to 19 year-olds in New South Wales and Victoria between 2006 and 2016, with substantial overlap between the most commonly dispensed psychotropics and the drugs most commonly used in self-poisoning. These results do not support claims that increased antidepressant use reduces youth suicide risk. They are more consistent with the FDA warning and the hypothesis that antidepressant use increases the risk of suicide and self-harm by young people. Causal relationships cannot be established with certainty until there is a vast improvement in post-marketing surveillance. However, there is clear evidence that more young Australians are taking antidepressants, and more young Australians are killing themselves and self-harming, often by intentionally overdosing on the very substances that are supposed to help them.