Medicina Fluminensis, Vol. 58 No. 3, 2022.
Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.21860/medflum2022_281000
Characteristics of suicidal behavior among children and adolescents – data review in Emergency department of the Psychiatric Hospital for Children and Adolescents in Zagreb during 2019 and 2020
Ljubica Paradžik
; Psihijatrijska bolnica za djecu i mladež, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Marija Bogadi
; Psihijatrijska bolnica za djecu i mladež, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ana Kordić
; Psihijatrijska bolnica za djecu i mladež, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Ivana Bilić
; Psihijatrijska bolnica za djecu i mladež, Zagreb, Hrvatska
Abstract
Aim: Determine and analyze certain characteristics of the clinical sample of children and adolescents with suicidal behaviors during 2019 and 2020, as well as the incidence of suicidal behaviors during certain months in both years. Methods: A crosssection, retrograde, descriptive study was conducted on a clinical sample of 2428 children/adolescents, examined in one emergency psychiatric department during 2019 and 2020. Of the total sample, 447 children/adolescents reported suicidal behavior. Results: There were statistically significantly higher rates of suicidal ideas, suicidal preparatory activities and suicidal attempts in children and young people in 2020 compared to 2019. During May (32.8% vs. 10.4%), August (30.6% vs.15.1%) and September 2020 (38.0% vs. 7.8%), this difference is statistically significant (all p<0.05) for suicidal ideas. There was a significant increase in suicidal preparatory activities in 2020 (all p<0.05) during May (25.0% vs. 8.1%), September (17.7% vs. 6.8%) and November (20.6% vs. 9.5%) compared to the same months in 2019. During May (15.6% vs. 4.4%) and August (6.5% vs. 0.0%) there is a significant increase in suicidal attempts (all p<0.05) in 2020 compared to 2019. The median age of the patients was 15 years (8-19). The results show that suicidal behavior is more prevalent among female patients, the most common method of suicide attempt is drug intoxication, and statistically significant gender differences in suicide attempt methods are obtained. Emotional disorders are more common in girls/adolescents, and mixed behavioral and emotional disorders in boys/adolescents. Conclusions: Results of this research should be considered in the context of study’s limitations, so it is impossible to generalize these findings. Other factors must be considered in future research, which may contribute to the complex phenomenon of suicidal behavior of children and adolescents. Also, it is important to recognize children and young people at risk of suicidal behavior and strengthen prevention programs.
Keywords
adolescent; child; epidemiology; suicide
Hrčak ID:
281000
URI
Publication date:
1.9.2022.
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