Trends of juvenile and adolescent suicides in North Tunisia: a 12-year study

The aim of our study was to analyze the epidemiological characteristics for suicide methods and factors over a 12-year period among child suicides in Northern Tunisia and to compare juvenile and adolescent suicides.

This is a cross-sectional study.

We included all child and adolescent suicide cases that took place in the North of Tunisia over a 12 year period (2005-2016). Data were collected from medical records and judicial inquiries and were classified into three sections: sociodemographic data, the circumstances of suicide, and the autopsy findings. Data were then compared between the 'juvenile suicide group' and 'the adolescent suicide group', according to the WHO definition.

Casualties were equally males and females, mostly adolescents (74.5%), aged 15 years old on average. Hanging was the most frequent suicidal method. A peak of frequency was observed in 2014.

Our results suggested to focus, among other preventive measures, on the role of media coverage of child suicides.