Suicidal Communication Prior to Suicide in Children and Young Adults—A Medical Records Review in Health Care Services in Sweden

Anna-Lena Hansson (), Per Johnsson, Sophia Eberhard, Anna Ehnvall, Sara Lindström, Margda Waern and Åsa Westrin
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Anna-Lena Hansson: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Skåne County, SE-22185 Lund, Sweden
Per Johnsson: Department of Psychology, Lund University, SE-22362 Lund, Sweden
Sophia Eberhard: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Skåne County, SE-22185 Lund, Sweden
Anna Ehnvall: Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
Sara Lindström: Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden
Margda Waern: Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, University of Gothenburg, SE-41345 Gothenburg, Sweden
Åsa Westrin: Department of Clinical Sciences, Psychiatry, Lund University, SE-22184 Lund, Sweden

IJERPH, 2024, vol. 22, issue 1, 1-13

Abstract: Suicide among children and young adults is a leading cause of mortality, highlighting the importance of the development of life-saving interventions. This study is part of the nationwide study Retrospective investigation of health care utilization of individuals who died by suicide in Sweden in 2015, Lund University, Sweden. The aim was to gain a better understanding of verbal suicidal communication and suicidal behaviour in children and young adults who die by suicide, to analyse gender and age differences, and to discuss the findings in relation to the prevailing psychological theories of suicidality. The study sample consisted of medical records from final health care consultations of 114 individuals up to 25 years, who died by suicide in Sweden a single year. Suicidal plans were documented in 13 percent of children and young adults. Females were more likely to have a notation of suicidal communication than males. Twenty-seven percent had made previous suicide attempts. Approximately 90 percent of the study cohort had contact with health care settings within 24 months prior to suicide. Questioning about suicidal plans appears to be an insufficient tool to assess suicidality in children and young adults. Clinical implications regarding alternative assessment methods and preventive measures are discussed.

Keywords: suicidal communication; suicidal ideation; suicide; children; young adults; psychology; clinical implications; public health; Sweden (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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