Predictors of non-fatal suicide attempts among Veterans Health Administration (VHA) patients who experienced military sexual trauma

Objective Military sexual trauma (MST) has been identified as a risk factor for suicidal behavior. To inform suicide prevention efforts within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), this study evaluates predictors of non-fatal suicide attempts (NFSAs) among VHA patients who experienced MST. Methods For VHA patients in fiscal year (FY) 2019 who previously screened positive for […]

Prevalence and risk factors of suicide attempts among Chinese elderly patients over 50 years with schizophrenia

Background Several research efforts have found that older schizophrenia patients are at higher risk for suicide. Related risk factors for suicide attempts in the elderly with schizophrenia are poorly understood. This study sought to assess the prevalence of suicide attempts and related risk variables in schizophrenia patients over the age of 50. Methods We recruited […]

Situation analysis of suicide and self-harm in the WHO Eastern Mediterranean region

Objective An estimated 41,000 lives are lost to suicide each year in World Health Organization Eastern Mediterranean Region Office (WHO EMRO) countries. The objective of this study was to conduct a situation analysis for suicide and self-harm in the WHO EMRO region. Methods Data on suicide were obtained from the WHO Global Health Estimates for […]

Unveiling adolescent suicidality: Holistic analysis of protective and risk factors using multiple machine learning algorithms

Adolescent suicide attempts are on the rise, presenting a significant public health concern. Recent research aimed at improving risk assessment for adolescent suicide attempts has turned to machine learning. But no studies to date have examined the performance of stacked ensemble algorithms, which are more suitable for low-prevalence conditions. The existing machine learning-based research also […]

The burden of attempted hanging and drowning presenting to hospitals in Ireland between 2007 and 2019: A national registry‑based study

Purpose: To measure the impact of hospital-treated self-harm by hanging and drowning in Ireland in 2007-2019 and identify risk factors for these methods of self-harm. Method: Data on all self-harm presentations to Irish hospitals between 2007 and 2019 were obtained from the National Self-Harm Registry Ireland, a national self-harm surveillance system. Multinomial regression was used to explore […]

Stability in the choice of method during the period preceding a suicide attempt and in attempt repeaters

Background and Objectives: Understanding the mental processes preceding a suicidal act is important for the potential to intervene. This study investigates stability and possible changes of suicide methods considered during the time immediately preceding a suicide attempt. Methods: Patients who had attempted suicide were interviewed shortly thereafter with regard to whether there was a change […]

Nonsuicidal self-injury as a time-invariant predictor of adolescent suicide ideation and attempts in a diverse community sample

Objective: Longitudinal data on adolescent self-injury are rare. Little is known regarding the associations between various forms of self-injurious thoughts and behaviors over time, particularly within community samples that are most relevant for prevention efforts. This study examined nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) as a time-invariant, prospective predictor of adolescent suicide ideation, threats or gestures, and attempts […]

Suicide attempts in an Italian population with substance use disorders: Results of a follow-up study

Suicide is a leading cause of morbidity worldwide. Among the known risk factors, substance use disorders are particularly relevant, but there are still few data on the epidemiology of suicide attempts in this group during the  COVID-19 pandemic. We used electronic health records of the National Health Services to identify individuals who received a diagnosis […]

Understanding the educational inequalities in suicide attempts and their mediators: A Mendelian randomisation study

Background: Educational inequalities in suicide have become increasingly prominent over the past decade. Elucidating modifiable risk factors that serve as intermediaries in the impact of low educational attainment on suicide has the potential to reduce health disparities. Aims: To examine the risk factors that mediate the relationship between educational attainment and suicide attempts and quantify their contributions […]

Use of tobacco products and suicide attempts among elementary school-aged children

Objective To examine whether the use of tobacco products is associated with nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), suicidal ideation (SI), and suicide attempts (SAs) among preadolescent children. Design, Setting, and Participants This cohort study, conducted from September 1, 2022, to September 5, 2023, included participants in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, a population-based cohort of 11 868 […]

Prevalence of suicide attempt and associations with deliberate self‑harm, mental health problems, drug misuse and traumatic experiences: A cross sectional survey of the Norwegian population

Background: Monitoring self-reported suicide attempts (SA) with nationally representative surveys is important to initiate suicide prevention strategies. The aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of SA and compare deliberate self-harm, (DSH), mental health, drug misuse and traumas between SA and non-suicide attempters (NSA). Methods: In this cross-sectional survey of a representative sample (N=1757) of […]

Lifetime suicide attempts in otherwise psychiatrically healthy individuals

Importance  Not all people who die by suicide have a psychiatric diagnosis; yet, little is known about the percentage and demographics of individuals with lifetime suicide attempts who are apparently psychiatrically healthy. If such suicide attempts are common, there are implications for suicide risk screening, research, policy, and nosology. Objective  To estimate the percentage of people with […]

Identifying novel proteins for suicide attempt by integrating proteomes from brain and blood with genome-wide association data

Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) have identified risk loci for suicide attempt (SA), but deciphering how they confer risk for SA remains largely unknown. This study aims to identify the key proteins and gain insights into SA pathogenesis. We integrated data from the brain proteome (N = 376) and blood proteome (N = 35,559) and combined it with the largest […]

Associations between early child adversity and lifetime suicide attempts among gender diverse individuals: A moderated mediation

Background This study examines the effect of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) on lifetime suicide attempts (LSA) across five gender subgroups (i.e., transgender men, transgender women, transgender non-binary, cisgender men and cisgender women). Objective To examine (1) the prevalence of LSA across gender identity subgroups; (2) whether the association between ACEs and LSA is moderated by […]

What distinguishes adolescents with suicidal thoughts from those who have attempted suicide? A population-based birth cohort study

Background Only one-third of young people who experience suicidal ideation attempt suicide. It is important to identify factors which differentiate those who attempt suicide from those who experience suicidal ideation but do not act on these thoughts. Methods Participants were 4,772 members of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), a UK population-based […]

Epidemiology of youth suicide and suicidal behavior

Purpose of Review Suicide is the third leading cause of death among young people in the U.S. and represents a significant public health problem worldwide. This review focuses on recent developments in our understanding of the epidemiology and risk factors for adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior. Recent Findings The suicide rate among children and adolescents […]

An exploration of differences between deliberate self-harm with and without suicidal intent amongst a clinical sample of young people in Singapore: A cross-sectional study

This study examined differences between young people with mental illness who engage in deliberate self-harm with and without suicidal intent, as well as socio-demographic and clinical factors that are related to the increased likelihood of suicide attempt amongst self-harming young people. A total of 235 outpatients with mental illness who had engaged in deliberate self-harm […]

Psychiatric emergencies and suicide attempts before and during COVID-19 lockdown in Spain

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental health of the population. The lockdown period in Spain – from March 14 to June 21, 2020 – was particularly stressful. This study aims to examine the differences in visits to the emergency department for psychiatric reasons before and during the lockdown period in a […]

Reasons for attempting suicide: An exploratory study in Ghana

This study examined the reasons for suicide attempts among patients in Ghana. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among 30 informants who had been hospitalized for attempted suicide. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was used to analyse the transcribed narratives, and five main themes emerged: 1) lack of support; 2) abandonment; 3) shame; 4) existential struggles; and 5) […]

Suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-harm: national prevalence study of young adults

Background: There are few prevalence studies of suicide attempts and non-suicidal self-harm (NSSH). Aims: We aimed to estimate the prevalence of thoughts of NSSH, suicidal thoughts, NSSH and suicide attempts among 18- to 34-year-olds in Scotland. Method: We interviewed a representative sample of young adults from across Scotland. Results: We interviewed 3508 young people; 11.3 and 16.2% reported a […]

Prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in preadolescent children: A US population-based study

The present study evaluated sociodemographic and diagnostic predictors of suicidal ideation and attempts in a nationally representative sample of preadolescent youth enrolled in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. Rates and predictors of psychiatric treatment utilization among suicidal youth also were examined. Eleven thousand eight hundred and seventy-five 9- and 10-year-old children residing in the […]

Feasibility of an integrated treatment approach for youth with depression, suicide attempts, and substance use problems

Depression, suicidal behaviors and substance use problems frequently co-occur, and treatment for youth with these co-occurring problems is often fragmented and challenging. An integrated cognitive-behavioral treatment  approach that builds upon a relapse prevention framework and applies common core skills, language, and approach for treating these related problems may be clinically beneficial. Following a description of […]

Uncovering the role of substance use in suicide attempts using a mixed-methods approach

Introduction Substance use is an established risk factor for suicide attempt. Clarifying the role of substance use in suicide attempts may identify modifiable treatment targets. This study used mixed methods to associate substance use with suicide attempt history and identify pathways through which substance use contributes to attempts. Methods Study 1 included 213 adult inpatients […]