Suicidality in children and adolescents – risk factors and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

Czech version

Authors: Vatrál Martin; Trebatická Jana
Authors‘ workplace: Klinika detskej psychiatrie Lekárskej fakulty Univerzity Komenského a Národného ústavu detských chorôb, Bratislava
Published in: Čes-slov Pediat 2022; 77 (3): 137-142.
Category: Comprehensive Report

Overview

Suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents is a serious issue with growing prevalence. Death as a result of a completed suicide is one of the most common causes of death in young people ages 15 to 19. There are some known risk factors associated with activation of a suicidal process. These can be divided into three categories –⁠ biological, psychological and social risk factors. Depressive disorder in an important predictor of suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents, as well as personal history of previous suicide attempts, self-injurious behaviour, family conflicts, and traumatic experiences. Biological risk factors are also a subject of ongoing research, including the dysregulation of kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism and the dysregulation of hypothalamic–pituitary –⁠ adrenal axis. Suicidal behaviour in children and adolescents has also been influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic, which in a special way affected people worldwide. Researchers from the USA report a significant increase in emergency department visits of children and adolescents after suicide attempts. In Catalonia, Spain, there has been evidence of 25% increase in suicide attempts per year in adolescents ages 12 to 18 between the year before and the year during the pandemic. Both of these countries reported a more severe impact of the pandemic on suicidality in adolescent girls compared to boys –⁠ there has been no significant change in prevalence of suicide attempts in adolescent boys.

Keywords:

suicide – Adolescents – risk factors – children – self-harm – suicidality – suicidal behaviour – pedopsychiatry

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