[Traumatic events in childhood and suicidal behavior in adolescence]

The history of adolescents having suicidal behaviour often involves traumatic events of diverse nature and severity. Through their impact on the psyche of the individual, these events can add to the vulnerability of adolescents at this sensitive time in their development. The practitioner should be particularly attentive in the follow up of children and adolescents who have suffered trauma. In the event of suicidal behaviour in adolescence, the search for traumatic events should not be systematic and intrusive. The various consultants involved should rather try to arrange room for reflection and exchange, so that any suffering can be expressed. It is more than an event- or factual-related approach; rather, the adolescent should be allowed to reconstitute lived trauma, to regain his capacities of representation and of relationship, and to give sense to his acts.