ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVES: Adolescent suicidal behavior is highly prevalent in pediatric psychiatric emergency departments, and there is a growing occurrence of such behavior among preadolescent children. This study aims to examine the psychosocial factors associated with nonfatal suicidal behaviors in children (<12 years old) and adolescents (aged 12-18), to gain insight into unique and shared characteristics of suicidal behavior across these two age groups. METHOD: This study investigates the psychosocial characteristics associated with suicidal ideation and behaviors in an emergency department sample of 183 children and adolescents aged 7-18 years in Israel. Participants completed a diagnostic interview, and self-report and parent-report questionnaires of psychosocial measures. Cross-sectional correlational and regression analyses were used to determine significant correlates of suicidal outcomes within the two age groups. RESULTS: Among adolescents, females exhibited a higher prevalence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors, while in children, both boys and girls showed similar rates. Depression correlated with suicidal ideation for both adolescents and children. In children, anxiety and conduct symptoms were associated with suicidal behavior, whereas in adolescents, suicidal behavior was associated with depression and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: The present findings contribute to the growing understanding of factors associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors among children in comparison to adolescents. These findings underscore the importance of targeting specific risk factors when developing assessment and intervention strategies tailored to the two age groups.
Suicidal thoughts and behaviors were more common in female adolescents, but similar for boys and girls in children.Different correlates were found for suicidal behavior in children compared to adolescents.This study emphasizes the need for age-specific tailored assessment and intervention.
ABSTRACT
Implicit identification with death (i.e., subconsciously self-associating oneself with death), measured by the Death-Suicide Implicit Association Test (D/S-IAT), is associated with Suicide Ideation (SI). Our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this association is limited. The current study examined (1) the mediating role of depression between D/S-IAT and recent SI and (2) the association between SI, D/S-IAT, and clinician evaluation of SI among a clinical sample of adolescents. 148 adolescents aged 10-18 years (69.4% female) from two outpatient clinics were assessed at intake. Participants completed D/S-IAT and self-report measures for recent SI and depression during intake. Findings indicate that depression is a mediator between D/S-IAT and recent SI, controlling for gender, site differences, and past suicidal thoughts and behaviors. D/S-IAT and clinician evaluation were correlated with recent SI but not beyond depression. Our findings highlight the importance of examining the underlying psychological mechanisms regarding the association between D/S-IAT and suicide.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: This study aimed to explore the prevalence of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) among Druze adolescents in Israel, an ethnic minority, and examine the influence of identity conflict, depression, and performance of risky behaviors on such adolescents' engagement in NSSI. This investigation is important because little is known about NSSI among adolescents from ethnic minorities. Methods: Overall, 290 Druze adolescents aged 16-18 (mean = 16.26, standard deviation = 0.9) years (63.9% female) participated in this study. They were recruited through snowball sampling from three Druze schools that agreed to participate in the study. All participants completed self-report measures for NSSI, depression, anxiety, engagement in risky behaviors, emotion regulation, sleep problems, and identity integration. Results: Almost 20% of the total sample engaged in NSSI. Those who engaged in NSSI reported more significant depression, anxiety, sleep problems, and engagement in risky behaviors when compared with those who did not engage in NSSI. Moreover, those who engaged in NSSI reported experiencing a higher level of identity conflict. Further analysis revealed an indirect effect of identity conflict on NSSI through engagement in risky behaviors. Conclusions: This study's findings clarify the prevalence of NSSI among Druze adolescents, as well as contributing factors, and also highlights the importance of developing interventions that specifically target this unique ethnic group.
