Psychosocial Factors and Sociodemographic Characteristics Associated with Suicidality Risk in Chilean Adolescents

• Published in: Children (Basel) Vol. 9; no. 8; p. 1185
• Main Authors: Zulic-Agramunt, Christianne Milena, Guzmán-Guzmán, Iris Paola, Delgado-Floody, Pedro, Saavedra, Monserrat Belén Cerda, De La Fuente, Patricio Gutierrez, Solano, Mario Meza, Berrios, Claudia Sagredo, Testor, Carles Pérez
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 01.08.2022; MDPI
• Subjects: mental health; Pediatric research; Pediatrics; Risk factors; Self esteem; Social support; Sociodemographics; Suicidal behavior; suicide; Suicides & suicide attempts; Teenagers; Chile; self-esteem; teenagers; mental health; suicide
• ISSN: 2227-9067; 2227-9067
• DOI: 10.3390/children9081185

Background: Suicidality in adolescents is a growing concern and is currently a public health issue in Chile and the world. Objective: To determine the association between the risk of suicidality with self-harm, sociodemographic parameters (that is, gender and type of school), psychosocial variables, and social and family support in Chilean adolescents. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, 829 (377, 45.5% girls) children/adolescents between 10 and 19 years of age participated. Suicidality, self-esteem, health-related quality of life (HRQoL), and social support perception were evaluated by standard, validated questionnaires. The presence of self-harm, dating violence, and family dysfunction was also evaluated through a self-report survey. Results: Suicidality risk was related to low self-esteem (OR = 9.73; 95%; CI = 6.62−14.28; p < 0.001), low HRQoL (OR = 5.0; 95%; CI = 3.51−7.13; p < 0.001), low social support (OR; 3.38, 95%; CI; 2.48−4.6; p < 0.001), and self-harm (OR = 8.03; 95%; CI = 5.69−11.33; p < 0.001). In family terms, suicidality risk was associated with exposure to physical (OR = 2.47, 95%CI; 1.69−3.6; p < 0.001) and psychological (OR = 1.78, 95; 1.33−2.39; p < 0.001) aggression between parents, and with considering their family dysfunctional (OR = 2.41 95%; CI = 1.69−3.41; p < 0.001). Finally, suicidality was associated with feeling mistreated by a boyfriend/girlfriend (OR = 2.18; 95% CI = 1.19−3.98; p = 0.011). Conclusion: Suicidality was associated with self-harm, low social, psychological and family well-being, and/or feeling mistreated by a boyfriend/girlfriend.