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Licensed Unlicensed Requires Authentication Published by De Gruyter February 28, 2013

Adolescent suicide: characterizing the need and identifying the predictive factors for preventive consultation or hospitalization in a rural community setting

  • Muttathu K.C. Nair , Paul S.S. Russell EMAIL logo , Satya R. Shankar , Vinod S. Subramaniam , Suma Nazeema , Priya Mammen and Neethu Chembagam

Abstract

Background: Studies from India consistently document the highest suicide rates in the world, and the majority of completed suicides had been within adolescents.

Objective: To characterize the need and identify the predictive factors for preventive consultation or hospitalization for adolescent suicide in a community setting.

Subjects: We prospectively collected data from 500 adolescents in a rural South Indian community with independent, trained raters.

Methods: The need for suicide prevention was measured with the SAD PERSONS scale, socio-economic status with the Modified Kuppusamy Scale, depression and anxiety disorders with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, respectively. The relationship between predictors and the need for preventive action was analyzed with univariate and multivariate regression analyses and a predictive model was built.

Results: Of those investigated, 2% and 0.6% required emergency consultation and hospitalization, respectively. Males needed more preventive action (p=0.04). Age (OR=3.40, p=0.07), gender (OR=3.13, p=0.05), presence of anxiety (OR=16.35, p=0.001), or depressive (OR=42.59, p=0.001) disorder independently predicted a need for protective action and, together, contributed to a parsimonious predictive model.

Conclusions: The majority of adolescents in the community do not require preventive steps to address suicide risk. These predictors could identify the high-risk adolescents for suicide prevention and reduce the burden of care in the community.


Corresponding author: Paul S.S. Russell, Professor of Psychiatry, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Unit, Christian Medical College, Vellore 632 002, Tamil Nadu, India

Received: 2011-11-6
Accepted: 2011-12-26
Published Online: 2013-02-28
Published in Print: 2013-03-01

©2013 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin Boston

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