Depressed Mood Prior to Death: Implications for Precipitating Factors of Youth Suicide

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth in the United States. Multiple factors have been shown to increase risk for suicidal behavior, including depressed mood. Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine individual characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide in youth decedents with and without depressed mood at the time of death. Method: Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) were analyzed for 17 US states from 2003 to 2012. Participants included suicide decedents aged 10-19 years (N = 4,053). Analyses compared youth suicide decedents with depressed mood at time of death with those without depressed mood using logistic regression. Sex-specific differences in youth with depressed mood were also explored. Results: Youth suicide decedents with depressed mood were more likely than those without depressed mood to exhibit clinical characteristics and precipitating circumstances associated with suicide. Comparison of males and females with depressed mood found unique sex-specific differences. Limitations: Data were limited to 17 states, analyses did not include a control group, and data were collected through postmortem reporting. Conclusion: Findings support a significant association between depressed mood and factors associated with suicidal behavior in youth and offer potential areas to focus prevention strategies.