scholarly journals Comparative Analysis of Lifetime Suicide Attempts among Mexican Adolescents, over the Past 12 Years

Author(s):  
Rosario Valdez-Santiago ◽  
Aremis Villalobos ◽  
Luz Arenas-Monreal ◽  
Catalina González-Forteza ◽  
Alicia Edith Hermosillo-de-la-Torre ◽  
...  

Objective. To compare the occurrence of suicide attempts across nationally representative samples of the Mexican adolescent population over the past 12 years, and to analyze its association with sociodemographic, lifestyle and mental-health indicators. Methodology. Data were drawn from the 2006, 2012 and 2018 National Health and Nutrition Surveys (n = 25,056; 21,509; and 17,925 adolescents, respectively). Estimates were based on standardized measurements. Results. The estimated lifetime prevalence rates of suicide attempts were 1.1% in 2006, 2.7% in 2012, and 3.9% in 2018, indicating a 3.4-fold increase. Across the three survey periods, women yielded rates nearly three times higher than men. Lifetime prevalence grew the most among adolescents aged 13–15 years. Compared to the other respondents, the odds of lifetime suicide attempts proved seven times as high for those who had been sexually abused during their childhood, five times as high for those who had been diagnosed with a depressive disorder, three times as high for those who had suffered physical aggression and twice as high for those who had smoked 100+ cigarettes in their lifetimes and those who consumed alcohol. Conclusion: The sharp increase in suicide attempts in Mexico calls for an urgent public-health response via universal and targeted interventions supported by national policy and sustained federal funding.

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Mathew Alexander ◽  
Lynn Unruh ◽  
Andriy Koval ◽  
William Belanger

Abstract As of November 2020, the United States leads the world in confirmed coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases and deaths. Over the past 10 months, the United States has experienced three peaks in new cases, with the most recent spike in November setting new records. Inaction and the lack of a scientifically informed, unified response have contributed to the sustained spread of COVID-19 in the United States. This paper describes major events and findings from the domestic response to COVID-19 from January to November 2020, including on preventing transmission, COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, ensuring sufficient physical infrastructure and healthcare workforce, paying for services, and governance. We further reflect on the public health response to-date and analyse the link between key policy decisions (e.g. closing, reopening) and COVID-19 cases in three states that are representative of the broader regions that have experienced spikes in cases. Finally, as we approach the winter months and undergo a change in national leadership, we highlight some considerations for the ongoing COVID-19 response and the broader United States healthcare system. These findings describe why the United States has failed to contain COVID-19 effectively to-date and can serve as a reference in the continued response to COVID-19 and future pandemics.


2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Richard T. Liu

Abstract Background Although the clinical importance of non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) has received increasing recognition, relatively little is known about its epidemiology. The objective of this study was to estimate the lifetime prevalence of NSSI in adults and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, psychiatric disorders, and lifetime treatment for NSSI. Methods A nationally representative face-to-face survey was conducted with 7192 adults aged ≥18 years in England. Respondents were interviewed about engagement in NSSI, psychiatric illness, suicidal thoughts and behavior, and treatment history for this behavior. Results The estimated lifetime prevalence rate of NSSI was 4.86%. Younger age, growing up without biological parents in the household, being unmarried, and impoverished backgrounds were associated with NSSI. The majority of respondents with lifetime NSSI (63.82%) had at least one current psychiatric disorder. Most psychiatric conditions were associated with greater odds of lifetime NSSI in multivariate models. NSSI was strongly associated with suicidal ideation and suicide attempts, respectively, even after accounting for psychiatric disorders and sociodemographic covariates. A substantial proportion of respondents with NSSI history (30.92%) have engaged in medically severe self-harm, as indexed by requiring medical attention for this behavior. The majority of respondents with NSSI (56.20%) had not received psychiatric care for this behavior. Conclusions NSSI is prevalent in the general population and associated with considerable psychiatric comorbidity. A high rate of unmet treatment needs is evident among those with this behavior. Those at the greatest lifetime risk for NSSI may also be particularly limited in their resources to cope with this behavior.


1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (1) ◽  
pp. 9-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. M. WEISSMAN ◽  
R. C. BLAND ◽  
G. J. CANINO ◽  
S. GREENWALD ◽  
H.-G. HWU ◽  
...  

Background. There are few cross-national comparisons of the rates of suicide ideation and attempts across diverse countries. Nine independently conducted epidemiological surveys using similar diagnostic assessment and criteria provided an opportunity to obtain that data.Methods. Suicide ideation and attempts were assessed on the Diagnostic Interview Schedule in over 40000 subjects drawn from the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, France, West Germany, Lebanon, Taiwan, Korea and New Zealand.Results. The lifetime prevalence rates/100 for suicide ideation ranged from 2·09 (Beirut) to 18·51 (Christchurch, New Zealand). Lifetime prevalence rates/100 for suicide attempts ranged from 0·72 (Beirut) to 5·93 (Puerto Rico). Females as compared to males had only marginally higher rates of suicidal ideation in most countries, reaching a two-fold increase in Taiwan. Females as compared to males had more consistently higher rates for suicide attempts, reaching a two- to three-fold increase in most countries. Suicide ideation and attempts in most countries were associated with being currently divorced/separated as compared to currently married.Conclusions. While the rates of suicide ideation varied widely by country, the rates of suicide attempts were more consistent across most countries. The variations were only partly explained by variation in rates of psychiatric disorders, divorce or separation among countries and are probably due to cultural features that we do not, as yet, understand.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Supa Pengpid ◽  
Karl Peltzer

Abstract Background: This investigation aimed to estimate the prevalence and its correlates of single and multiple suicide attempts among adolescents in Liberia.Method: Cross-sectional nationally representative data were analysed from 2,744 adolescents (18 years median age) that participated in the “2017 Liberia Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS).”Results: Results indicate that 33.7% of students had made a suicide attempt in the past 12 months (16.5% single and 17.2% multiple suicide attempts). In adjusted multinomial logistic regression analysis, having no close friends, loneliness, having been frequently physically attacked, ever used amphetamine and fast food intake were associated with multiple suicide attempts in the past 12 months. In addition, having been frequently in a physical fight and current tobacco use were associated with single suicide attempt. In sex stratified analyses, in addition, among boys frequent bullying victimization and among girls, parental tobacco use and parents never or rarely check on home work were associated with multiple suicide attempts. Multiple psychosocial distressors, multiple social-environmental factors and multiple health risk behaviours were associated with single and multiple suicide attempts.Conclusion: One in three students had made suicide attempt in the past 12 months (one in six students multiple suicide attempts) and several associated variables were detected which can aid in designing intervention strategies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (2s) ◽  
pp. 49-55
Author(s):  
Thuy-Vi Nguyen ◽  
Rosmarie Kelly ◽  
Byron Lobsinger ◽  
R. Christopher Rustin

ABSTRACT Onsite assessments for mosquito larval habitat sites are critical after a hurricane makes landfall. Due to lack of forward assessment activities and the uncertain path of Hurricane Irma, it was difficult to determine what areas would be most affected, making it challenging to determine the availability of Department of Public Health Environmental Health Strike Team members from unaffected areas. However, lessons learned from assessing the public health response to Hurricane Irma (2017) helped improve the response to Hurricane Michael (2018).


1982 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 111-129 ◽  
Author(s):  
Milton I. Roemer ◽  
John E. Roemer

In recent years, difficulties in U. S. health services have been ascribed to excessive government intervention and regulation; high costs and other problems would be solved, it is argued, by “return to the free market and competition.” Examination of the past operations of free trade and competition in health care, however, shows that in this market not one of at least five conditions necessary for effective competition exists. Numerous adjustments made by society reflect strikingly the problems caused by these market deficiencies (such as seriously inadequate information or the presence of major social “externalities”). Furthermore, even these adjustments-such as medical ethics or health insurance-have generated serious secondary problems. Many types of waste and social inequity also persist, in spite of all the attempts to compensate for market failure. In effect, the so-called free market in health care has survived only because of the extensive regulations and other actions taken to patch it up. Abandoning these adjustments would further aggravate current problems. Only replacement of free trade by systematic social planning could hope to achieve a health care system that allocates resources and distributes services both efficiently and equitably.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tegan Cruwys ◽  
Mark Stevens ◽  
Jessica L Donaldson ◽  
Diana Cardenas ◽  
Michael J. Platow ◽  
...  

Background: The social identity model of risk taking proposes that people take more risks with ingroup members because they trust them more. While this can be beneficial in some circumstances, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic it has the potential to undermine an effective public health response if people underestimate the risk of contagion posed by ingroup members, or overestimate the risk of vaccines or treatments developed by outgroup members. Methods: Three studies (two prospective surveys, one experiment) with community-based adults tested the potential for the social identity model of risk taking to explain risk perception and risk taking in the context of COVID-19. Results: Study 1 was a two-wave study with a pre-COVID baseline, and found that people who identified more strongly as a member of their neighborhood pre-COVID tended to trust their neighbors more, and perceive interacting with them during lockdown restrictions as less risky. Study 2 (N=2033) replicated these findings in a two-wave nationally representative Australian sample. Study 3 (N=216) was a pre-registered experiment which found evidence that the tendency to trust ingroup members more could be harnessed to enhance the COVID-19 response. Specifically, people were more willing to take a vaccine and perceived it to be less risky when it was developed by an ingroup compared to an outgroup source. Conclusions: Across all three studies, ingroup members were trusted more and were perceived to pose less health risk. These findings are discussed with a focus on how group processes can be more effectively incorporated into public health policy, both for the current pandemic and for future contagious disease threats.


Crisis ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 125-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ludmila Kryzhanovskaya ◽  
Randolph Canterbury

Summary: This retrospective study characterizes the suicidal behavior in 119 patients with Axis I adjustment disorders as assessed by psychiatrists at the University of Virginia Hospital. Results indicated that 72 patients (60.5%) had documented suicide attempts in the past, 96% had been suicidal during their admission to the hospital, and 50% had attempted suicide before their hospitalization. The most commonly used method of suicide attempts was overdosing. Of the sample group with suicide attempts in the past, 67% had Axis II diagnoses of borderline personality disorder and antisocial personality disorder. Adjustment disorder diagnosis in patients with the suicide attempts was associated with a high level of suicidality at admission, involuntary hospitalization and substance-abuse disorders. Axis II diagnoses in patients with adjustment disorders constituted risk factors for further suicidal behavior. Additional future prospective studies with reliability checks on diagnosis of adjustment disorders and suicidal behavior are needed.


Crisis ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Shannon Lange ◽  
Courtney Bagge ◽  
Charlotte Probst ◽  
Jürgen Rehm

Abstract. Background: In recent years, the rate of death by suicide has been increasing disproportionately among females and young adults in the United States. Presumably this trend has been mirrored by the proportion of individuals with suicidal ideation who attempted suicide. Aim: We aimed to investigate whether the proportion of individuals in the United States with suicidal ideation who attempted suicide differed by age and/or sex, and whether this proportion has increased over time. Method: Individual-level data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), 2008–2017, were used to estimate the year-, age category-, and sex-specific proportion of individuals with past-year suicidal ideation who attempted suicide. We then determined whether this proportion differed by age category, sex, and across years using random-effects meta-regression. Overall, age category- and sex-specific proportions across survey years were estimated using random-effects meta-analyses. Results: Although the proportion was found to be significantly higher among females and those aged 18–25 years, it had not significantly increased over the past 10 years. Limitations: Data were self-reported and restricted to past-year suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Conclusion: The increase in the death by suicide rate in the United States over the past 10 years was not mirrored by the proportion of individuals with past-year suicidal ideation who attempted suicide during this period.


Crisis ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 157-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin S. Kuehn ◽  
Annelise Wagner ◽  
Jennifer Velloza

Abstract. Background: Suicide is the second leading cause of death among US adolescents aged 12–19 years. Researchers would benefit from a better understanding of the direct effects of bullying and e-bullying on adolescent suicide to inform intervention work. Aims: To explore the direct and indirect effects of bullying and e-bullying on adolescent suicide attempts (SAs) and to estimate the magnitude of these effects controlling for significant covariates. Method: This study uses data from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance Survey (YRBS), a nationally representative sample of US high school youth. We quantified the association between bullying and the likelihood of SA, after adjusting for covariates (i.e., sexual orientation, obesity, sleep, etc.) identified with the PC algorithm. Results: Bullying and e-bullying were significantly associated with SA in logistic regression analyses. Bullying had an estimated average causal effect (ACE) of 2.46%, while e-bullying had an ACE of 4.16%. Limitations: Data are cross-sectional and temporal precedence is not known. Conclusion: These findings highlight the strong association between bullying, e-bullying, and SA.


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