Youth suicides unknown to psychiatric care providers

Less than 50% of young suicides have consulted psychiatric care providers. Thus the population not found within the psychiatric care sector is described in this paper. Fifty-eight consecutive suicides among adolescents and young adults, studied by psychological autopsies, were classified according to presence or absence of previous psychiatric care. Fifteen of the sixteen subjects without previous care were males, six of these were diagnosed as having an adjustment disorder related to a recent event. Unemployment was less common (p < 0.01), the suicidal processes were shorter (p < 0.001), and previous parasuicide was less frequent (p < 0.001) among nonpatients. Evaluation in accordance with DSM-III-R criteria showed fewer substance abuse disorders (p < 0.01). Open suicidal communication prior to the suicide was less frequent but active methods were used by this population as often as by subjects known to care providers.