Risk factors and characteristics of suicide attempts among 381 suicidal adolescents

Aim This study explored the relationships between suicidal adolescents and their parents, siblings and friends. It examined how much adolescents talked to their parents before suicide attempts, the frequency of self‐mutilation, the extent of suicidal ideation, previous suicide attempts and suicide attempts in the adolescent's surroundings. Methods We performed a cross‐sectional case–control study that focused on 381 adolescents aged 10–17 years who were admitted to hospitals across Denmark after suicide attempts with acetaminophen and 296 age‐ and gender‐matched controls recruited from schools. The study used questionnaires and medical and child psychiatric records. Results The study group were ten times more likely to report dissociated parental relationships than the control group (41.5% versus 4%), and there were significant relationships between these reports and feelings of not being heard (p < 0.0001), dissociated relationships with friends (p < 0.0001) and siblings (p < 0.0001) and self‐mutilation (p = 0.009). Almost two‐thirds (62.5%) of the suicidal adolescents who tried to talk to their parents about their problems felt unheard, and there was a significant relationship between this feeling and the duration of suicidal ideation (p = 0.01) and self‐mutilation (p = 0.003). Conclusion Early risk factors for suicide were dissociated relationships with parents, siblings and friends, feeling unheard, self‐mutilation and extended suicidal ideation.