Citation

Mulraney M, Zendarski N, Coghill D. J. Am. Acad. Child Adolesc. Psychiatry 2021; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2021, American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry, Publisher Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1016/j.jaac.2021.03.004

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Self-harm and suicidality (ideation and attempts) are common in adolescents. In a nationally representative study, approximately 8%, 7.5%, and 2.4% of 12–17-year-old Australians engaged in self-harm, suicidal ideation or a suicide attempt in the previous 12 months, respectively. 1 Adolescents with a diagnosable mental health disorder had significantly increased risk of self-harm and suicidality. 1 It is well established that adolescents with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have elevated risk for suicidality. 2 Mounting evidence indicates that individuals with subsyndromal ADHD (elevated symptoms of ADHD but not meeting full diagnostic threshold) experience impairments similar to those with full ADHD 3 . Only one study to date has investigated suicidality in subsyndromal ADHD 4 . Fergusson et al 4 report a linear increase in number of suicide attempts across those without ADHD, subsyndromal ADHD and threshold ADHD. However, Fergusson et al 4 did not examine suicidal ideation or self-harm. In this study, we compared rates of self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempts in Australian adolescents with ADHD, subsyndromal ADHD, and non-ADHD controls.

Language: en