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Suicide Attempts Among Individuals With Specific Learning Disorders: An Underrecognized Issue.
Esme Fuller-Thomson1, Samara Z Carroll1, Wook Yang1
11 University of Toronto, Canada.
Journal of Learning Disabilities
|June 22, 2017
Summary
Adults with specific learning disorders (SLDs) have a significantly higher risk of suicide attempts compared to their peers. Adverse childhood experiences, like witnessing domestic violence, exacerbate this risk for individuals with SLDs.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Public Health
- Developmental Psychology
Background:
- Specific learning disorders (SLDs) are increasingly linked to mental health issues.
- Existing research primarily focuses on suicidal ideation, with limited data on suicide attempts in individuals with SLDs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between specific learning disorders and lifetime suicide attempts.
- To identify risk factors contributing to suicide attempts among adults with SLDs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey, a nationally representative sample (n = 21,744).
- Employed logistic regression to analyze the odds of suicide attempts, adjusting for covariates like childhood adversities, mental illness history, substance abuse, and sociodemographics.
Main Results:
- Individuals with SLDs exhibited a significantly higher prevalence of lifetime suicide attempts (11.1% vs. 2.7%, p < .001).
- Adults with SLDs had 46% higher odds of attempting suicide (OR = 1.46, 95% CI [1.05, 2.04]), even after controlling for known risk factors.
- Adverse childhood experiences, particularly witnessing parental domestic violence, and a history of major depressive disorder were strongly associated with increased suicide attempt odds among those with SLDs.
Conclusions:
- Specific learning disorders are a significant risk factor for suicide attempts in adults.
- Early intervention and support addressing adverse childhood experiences and co-occurring mental health conditions are crucial for mitigating suicide risk in individuals with SLDs.