Gender differences in suicide attempts from adolescence to young adulthood

Citation
Pm. Lewinsohn et al., Gender differences in suicide attempts from adolescence to young adulthood, J AM A CHIL, 40(4), 2001, pp. 427-434
Citations number
31
Language
INGLESE
art.tipo
Article
Categorie Soggetti
Psychiatry
Journal title
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF CHILD AND ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
ISSN journal
0890-8567 → ACNP
Volume
40
Issue
4
Year of publication
2001
Pages
427 - 434
Database
ISI
SICI code
0890-8567(200104)40:4<427:GDISAF>2.0.ZU;2-C
Abstract
Objective: To examine associations of age, gender, and psychosocial factors during adolescence with risk of suicide attempt between ages 19 and 23 yea rs. Method: Initial assessments were conducted with 1,709 adolescents (aged 14-18) in western Oregon between 1987 and 1989. One year later, 1,507 part icipants returned for a second assessment. A subset of participants (n = 94 1; 57.2% women) had a third diagnostic assessment after turning 24 (between 1993 and 1999). Information on suicidal behavior, psychosocial risk factor s, and lifetime DSM-III-R psychiatric diagnosis was collected at each asses sment. Results: The suicide attempt hazard rate for female adolescents was significantly higher than for male adolescents (Wilcoxon chi (2)(1)[n = 941 ] = 12.69, p <.001). By age 19, the attempt hazard rate for female adolesce nts dropped to a level comparable with that of male adolescents. Disappeara nce of the gender difference for suicide attempts by young adulthood was no t paralleled by a decrease in the gender difference for major depression. A dolescent suicidal behavior predicted suicide attempt during young adulthoo d for female, but not male, participants. Adolescent psychosocial risk fact ors for suicide attempt during young adulthood were identified separately f or girls and boys. Conclusions: Unlike depression, the elevated incidence r ate of suicide attempts by adolescent girls is not maintained into young ad ulthood. Screening and prevention implications are discussed.