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Citation |
Kokkevi A, Rotsika V, Botsis A, Kanavou E, Malliori M, Richardson C. Child Youth Care Forum 2014; 43(6): 691-704. |
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Copyright |
(Copyright © 2014, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group) |
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DOI |
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PMID |
unavailable |
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Abstract |
BACKGROUND: Running away from home and suicide attempts during adolescence are high-risk behaviors for safety and health, and a "way out" from negative life experiences.; Objective: To examine the self-reported prevalence of running away and suicide attempts among adolescents in Greece in the midst of a severe economic recession which is exerting pressure on families, and to identify associated psychosocial factors.; Methods: Data were drawn from a nationally representative school survey (n = 23,279, 15-19 years old). Students answered in their classrooms an anonymous questionnaire under the supervision of trained researchers.; Results: Each behavior was reported by one in nine adolescents (11.3 % for lifetime suicide attempts and 11.6 % for lifetime running away). Among those who reported the one behavior, a quarter also reported the other. Logistic regression analyses indicated that these behaviors share several common psychosocial correlates: family related (quality of parental relationships, parental monitoring), school related (poor performance and dissatisfaction), substance use, and emotional, psychological and behavioral problems. Gender was a significant correlate but in opposite directions for running away (more common among boys) and suicide attempts (more common among girls). Socioeconomic status was not a significant correlate for either behavior, possibly because the impact of the economic crisis on parents had not yet filtered down to their children in 2011 (the survey year).; Conclusions: Findings suggest the need for timely interventions towards vulnerable youth and their families by identifying personal, familial and school factors associated with these two health- and life-compromising behaviors. © 2014, Springer Science+Business Media New York. Language: en |
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Keywords |
Greece; Adolescents; Suicide attempts; Runaway; Economic recession; Psychosocial correlates |