ADOLESCENTS COMMUNICATING DISTRESS THROUGH SUICIDAL BEHAVIORS

Abstract

Background: Different risk factors associated with adolescent suicide attempts have been identified across the globe. Relatively few Indian studies are available on this data.

Aims: To study the sociodemographic and clinical variables associated with adolescent suicide attempts.

Setting and design: tertiary care hospital, retrospective descriptive study.

Materials and methods: Participants: - ninety four patients admitted in the pediatric units who had attempted suicide by ingestion. A pretested, semi-open-ended questionnaire was filled for each patient. This data was then compiled and analyzed using statistical methods.

Results: Among a total of 94 cases, sociodemographic patient risk factors found were:- male to female ratio is 1:3.5. Mean age found was 14.64 years. 58.5% were in age of 15 - 18 yrs., 54.9% were unemployed and 43.6% were educated only till middle school. Nuclear families with family members more than 5, siblings more than 3, a lower income class, single parents (10.6%), broken homes (9.6%), a history of suicide and alcoholism in family (9.6%) were found as familial risk factors associated with suicide attempts. The interpersonal problems (29%) and depression (19.1%) were the important psychological risk factors. Period prevalence was ≈1 per 1000. Case fatality rate was found to be 2.12

Conclusion: The adolescents used the method of deliberate self-harm only to get attention and had no intention of really dying. This was the distress call used by these adolescents.