Citation

Vairo MC, Ruiz M, Blanco MF, Matusevich D, Finkelsztein C. Vertex 2003; 14(53): 179-189.

Vernacular Title

Adolescentes y comportamiento suicida. Factores de riesgo (revision bibliografica

Affiliation

Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires. carovairo@hotmail.com

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Polemos)

DOI

10.1267/science.040579197

PMID

14569307

Abstract

In the United States suicide is the third cause of death among adolescents. Suicidal behavior has increased a hundred percent over the last three decades; it is one of the most frequent psychiatric emergencies and the first cause of admission among inpatients between 15 and 24 years. OBJECTIVE: This paper is divided in two parts. The first one is made up of a review about risk factors for suicidal behavior in adolescents. The objective of the second part study is to estimate the frequency of risk factors for suicidal behavior in a sample of inpatients and to correlate them with high lethality suicidal attempts. METHOD: This is a retrospective, observational, descriptive, analytic transversal study based on information from 23 medical records. Variables were processed by bivariated analysis; relative risk was obtained considering high lethality suicidal attempt as dependent variable. RESULTS: Statistically significant relationships were found between high lethality suicidal attempt and no Axe II diagnosis and with the appearance of hopelessness. DISCUSSION: Suicidal attempts in adolescents with an Axe II diagnosis could be more related to self-harming than to a wish to die. Hopelessness can be considered an independent variable that determines the lethality of the suicidal attempt.

Language: es