BACKGROUND: Suicidal behaviors are increasing in Tunisia at younger and younger ages. This study aims to describe the sociodemographic and clinical profile of suicide attempts in children and adolescents.
METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional and descriptive study, including 50 suicidal individuals, recruited in the Child Psychiatry Department at the Razi Hospital in Manouba and in two Departments in Tunisia (Intensive Care and Reanimation Department and Department of Pediatrics) between July 2012 and June 2013. We identified the socio-demographic and clinical factors, the histories of abuse, subjects' education, the characteristics of the attempted suicides (TS), suicidal ideation assessed by the Suicidal Intent Scale and psychopathological disorders diagnosed using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview.
RESULTS: The sex-ratio was 0.56, the average age was 12.4 years ranging from 7 to 16 years. School failure or dropout were found in 86% of suicidal individuals. In 38% of cases suicidal behavior was recurrent; the subjects had a history of self-mutilation to the same extent. A context of abuse was reported in 46% of cases. Drug ingestion was the most common means of suicide, psychotropic drugs were the most common substances used. There was a significant gender difference in the use of the means of suicide: the boys mainly used physical means (P=0.04) while the girls poisoning (P=0.001). Suicidal intent was high in 44% of cases. A major depressive episode and adjustment disorder were the most common disorders found (58% and 24% of cases respectively).
CONCLUSION: Depressive disorders and abuse are risk factors of TS in children and adolescents, these factors should be considered when implementing suicide prevention strategies for this population.