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. 2019 Apr;64(4):265-274.
doi: 10.1177/0706743719830031.

Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Suicidal Ideation and Attempts: Evidence from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study

Katholiki Georgiades  1 , Khrista Boylan  1 , Laura Duncan  1   2 , Li Wang  1   2 , Ian Colman  3 , Anne E Rhodes  1   4 , Kathryn Bennett  1   2 , Jinette Comeau  5   6 , Ian Manion  7 , Michael H Boyle  1 ; 2014 Ontario Child Health Study Team  8
Affiliations

Prevalence and Correlates of Youth Suicidal Ideation and Attempts: Evidence from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study

Katholiki Georgiades et al. Can J Psychiatry. 2019 Apr.

Abstract
in English, French

Objectives: To present the 12-month prevalence and correlates of suicidal ideation and attempts in a sample of youth in Ontario.

Methods: Data come from the 2014 Ontario Child Health Study, a provincially representative survey of families with children in Ontario. Youth aged 14 to 17 y ( n = 2,396) completed a computer-assisted, self-administered questionnaire in their home to assess the occurrence of suicidal ideation, suicidal attempts, and associated correlates, including non-suicidal self-injury, mental disorders, substance use, peer victimization and exposure to child maltreatment. Socio-demographic information was collected from the parent. Logistic regression models were used to identify correlates that distinguished between youth reporting: 1) no suicidal ideation or attempts, 2) suicidal ideation but no attempts, and 3) suicidal ideation and attempts.

Results: The 12-month prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts was 8.1% and 4.3%, respectively. All clinical and behavioural correlates were significantly higher among youth reporting suicidal ideation or attempts, as compared with non-suicidal youth. In adjusted models, depression and non-suicidal self-injury were each independently associated with elevated odds of suicidal ideation (OR = 4.84 and 4.19, respectively) and suicidal attempt (OR = 7.84 and 22.72, respectively). Among youth who reported suicidal ideation, the only variable that differentiated youth who attempted suicide v. those who did not, in adjusted models, was non-suicidal self-injury (OR = 3.89).

Conclusions: Suicidal ideation and attempts are common among youth in Ontario, often co-occurring with mental disorders and high-risk behaviours. These findings underscore the need for effective prevention and intervention strategies, particularly for youth depression and non-suicidal self-injury.

Objectifs :: Présenter la prévalence de 12 mois et les corrélats de l’idéation et des tentatives de suicide dans un échantillon d’adolescents en Ontario.

Méthodes :: Les données proviennent de l’Étude sur la santé des jeunes Ontariens 2014, une étude représentative à l’échelle provinciale de familles comportant des enfants en Ontario. Les adolescents âgés de 14 à 17 ans (n = 2 396) ont rempli à domicile un questionnaire auto-administré assisté par ordinateur afin d’évaluer l’occurrence de l’idéation suicidaire, des tentatives de suicide et des corrélats associés, notamment l’automutilation non suicidaire, les troubles mentaux, l’utilisation de substances, la victimisation par les pairs et l’exposition à la maltraitance des enfants. Les données sociodémographiques ont été recueillies auprès du parent. Des modèles de régression logistique ont servi à identifier les corrélats qui distinguaient entre les adolescents déclarant 1) aucune idéation ou tentative de suicide, 2) une idéation mais pas de tentatives de suicide, et 3) idéation et tentatives de suicide.

Résultats :: La prévalence de 12 mois de l’idéation suicidaire et des tentatives de suicide était de 8,1% et de 4,3%, respectivement. Tous les corrélats cliniques et comportementaux étaient significativement plus élevés chez les adolescents déclarant une idéation ou des tentatives de suicide, comparativement aux adolescents non suicidaires. Dans les modèles ajustés, la dépression et l’automutilation non suicidaire étaient chacune associées indépendamment à des probabilités élevées d’idéation suicidaire (RC = 4,84 et 4,19 respectivement) et de tentative de suicide (RC = 7,84 et 22,72 respectivement). Chez les adolescents qui déclaraient une idéation suicidaire, la seule variable qui différentiait les adolescents qui avaient fait des tentatives de suicide de ceux qui n’en avaient pas fait, dans les modèles ajustés, était l’automutilation non suicidaire (RC = 3,89).

Conclusions :: L’idéation suicidaire et les tentatives de suicide sont répandues chez les adolescents de l’Ontario, et sont souvent co-occurrentes avec les troubles mentaux et les comportements à risque élevé. Ces résultats font ressortir le besoin de stratégies efficaces de prévention et d’intervention, en particulier pour la dépression et l’automutilation non suicidaire chez les adolescents.

Keywords: correlates; ontario; suicidal attempts; suicidal ideation; youth.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Conflicting Interests: The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The primary authors (KG, KB, LD, LW, IC, AR, KB, JC, IM, and MB) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

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