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Suicidal thoughts and acts in Irish adolescents
Jo Rowley1, Kathleen Ganter2, Carol Fitzpatrick3
1Lagan Valley Hospital,Lisburn,Northern Ireland.
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine
|November 17, 2018
Summary
Suicidal thoughts and self-harm acts are common in Irish adolescents, affecting both general and mental health service populations. Many parents remain unaware of their children's struggles with self-harm.
Area of Science:
- Child and adolescent mental health research.
- Psychiatry and psychology.
- Public health and epidemiology.
Background:
- Suicidal ideation and self-harm are significant concerns in adolescent populations.
- Understanding the prevalence and risk factors is crucial for early intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the frequency of suicidal thoughts and self-harm behaviors among Irish adolescents.
- To compare prevalence rates between a school-based sample and adolescents attending a community mental health service.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study involving 195 adolescents (aged 13-15) from Irish secondary schools and 66 adolescents from a community child mental health service.
- Data collected via parent-completed Child Behaviour Checklist and adolescent-completed Youth Self Report questionnaires.
Main Results:
- In the school sample, 15% of adolescents reported suicidal thoughts and 8% reported self-harm attempts, contrasting with parental reports of 3% discussing harm.
- In the mental health service sample, 21% reported suicidal thoughts and 21% reported self-harm attempts, with parents reporting 33% discussing harm and 27% reporting attempts.
- Higher scores on disturbance measures (total problem, internalizing, externalizing) correlated with increased reporting of self-harm thoughts and acts in both groups.
Conclusions:
- Suicidal thoughts and self-harm acts are prevalent in Irish adolescents, extending beyond those seeking mental health services.
- Parental awareness of adolescent suicidal ideation and self-harm is often limited.
- Further research, including clinical interviews, is needed to understand the significance and coping mechanisms related to these thoughts in at-risk adolescents.
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