Family support decreases suicide risk
Adolescents and teenagers are
much less likely to attempt suicide if they have a sense of "connectedness" to parents, family,
or other adults, report researchers in a study in Pediatrics
(2000;107:485-93).
The study showed that perceived family closeness protected
against suicide attempts among
black, Hispanic, and white girls
and boys. Risk factors included
previous suicide attempts, violence victimisation, violence perpetration, alcohol use, marijuana
use, and school problems.
MCGHEE/ TREVILLION
The authors from the University of Minnesota identified
risk and protective factors for
suicide attempts among 13 000
black, Hispanic, and white male
and female adolescents between
1995 and 1996. Students in high
school were interviewed twice,
an average of 11 months apart.
One of the study's authors, Dr
M D Resnick, told Reuters
Health that the study affirmed
the important role of parents and
families, adults outside the family, and school as sources of con-
nection and anchoring points in
the lives of young people.
Additionally, somatic symptoms, friends' suicide attempts,
use of other illicit drugs, and a
history of mental health treatment predicted suicide attempts
among black, Hispanic, and white
women. Weapon carrying at
school and same sex romantic
attraction were predictive for all
groups of boys. Calculating the
estimated probabilities of
attempting suicide for adolescents showed that the presence of
three protective factors reduced
the risk of a suicide attempt by
70% to 85% for each of the gender and racial and ethnic groups,
including those with and without
identified risk factors.
Suicide is the third leading
cause of death among 15 to 25
year olds in the United States,
and it is the sixth leading cause
of death among 5 to 14 year
olds. More than 13 out of every
100 000 teenagers took their
own life in 1990.
The greatest increases in
suicide rates in the previous
decade were among black and
other minority youths. The
study also suggested that
promotion of protective factors
might offer an effective
approach to preventing adolescent suicidal behaviour.
Negin Shamsian, London
studentBMJ 2001;09:85-128 April ISSN 0966-6494
