Factors Associated With Suicidal Behaviour in Adolescents. A Population-Based Study

Introduction: Suicide is the third leading cause of death in young people between 15 and 19 years old, a population in which it has been increasing since 2014. Determining the factors associated with this complex behaviour is the first step in developing early intervention strategies. The objective was to analyse the sociodemographic and clinical psychiatric factors associated with suicidal behaviour in adolescents from Envigado, in 2017. Methods: Cross-sectional, population-based analytical study, nested in the Envigado Population-based Mental Health Study, 2017. Two hundred and one adolescents aged 15 to 18 were included, to whom the CIDI-3 was applied. The prevalence of suicidal behaviour was calculated and associated sociodemographic and clinical factors were analysed using multivariate logistic regression. ORs with 95% CIs are presented. Results: The mean age was 15 years, 51.7% were women. The prevalences of suicidal behaviour were 20.9% for ideation, 12.9% for planning and 10.9% for attempt. Being a woman (OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02-4.87), of low socioeconomic status (OR = 4.09; 95% CI, 1.80-9.23), with a history of oppositional defiant disorder (OR = 4.89; 95% CI, 1.17-20.39) or a history of major depressive disorder (OR = 5.26; 95% CI, 1.91-14.48) were associated with suicidal behaviour. Conclusions: Among adolescents in the city of Envigado, suicidal behaviour has a high prevalence, being higher among those who are socially and economically disadvantaged, particularly among women. This profile should be considered when planning strategies to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders.