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Citation
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Chérif L, Ayedi H, Sahnoun F, Walha A, Moalla Y, Rekik N, Ghribi F. Neuropsychiatr. Enfance Adolesc. 2012; 60(6): 454-460. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVES: The objectives of this study were the evaluation of clinical characteristics of adolescents' suicide attempts, the estimation of the prevalence of psychiatric disorders in adolescent suicide attempters and the search of adolescent suicide attempters' characteristics associated with psychiatric disorders.
METHODS: A cross-sectional comparative study was conducted on two groups of adolescents matched on age, sex and socio-economic status, during a period of 8 months (April to November 2010). The first group included 30 adolescents admitted to the department of emergency in the Habib Bourguiba Hospital of Sfax for suicide attempts. The second group included 30 adolescents examined in a community clinic in Sfax for a benign acute medical condition. The sex ratio was 0,5. Mean age was 16,8 years (± 2,05). The two groups underwent a semi-structured interview based on the DSM-IV-TR criteria, conducted by a child psychiatrist.
RESULTS: The attempt's triggering event was a parental conflict in 53,6% of cases. Suicide attempts were made through medicine ingestion in 66,7% of the cases. Suicide attempters reported having suicidal ideations during the year in 46,7% of case and previous suicidal attempts in 30% of cases. A psychiatric disorder was diagnosed significantly more frequent in adolescent suicide attempters than in the control group (73,3% against 26,7%). The diagnosis of depressive disorder was also significantly more frequent in adolescent suicide attempters than in the control group (23,3% against 3,33%). An adjustment disorder was noted in 23,3% of adolescent suicide attempters against 3,33% in the control group. An associated psychiatric disorder was significantly related to previous suicidal attempts, a high intent to die, premeditation of the attempt, school failure, family conflicts or violence, low socio-economic status and parental death or divorce or separation.
CONCLUSION: The results of this study are similar to those of the literature about the frequent comorbidity between psychiatric disorders and suicide attempts. These findings provide support for suggesting a need for a systematic screening for a psychiatric disorder in adolescent suicide attempters to ensure an early mental health treatment and prevent the recurrence of suicide attempts. © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS.
Language: fr |