ETUDE RECHERCHE Comportement sexuel et tentatives de suicide chez des adolescents âgés de 12 à 15 ans de 38 pays: une perspective mondiale

Sexual behavior and suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12–15 years from 38 countries: A global perspective

LeeSmith ^a Sarah EJackson ^b Davy Vancampfort ^c Louis Jacob ^d Joseph Firth ^efg Igor Grabovac ^h Daragh McDermott ⁱ LinYang ^j Guillermo  F.López-Sánchez ^k Thomas Niederkrotenthaler ^l Nicola Veronese ^m AiKoyanagi ^no

^a Cambridge Centre for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
^b Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
^c Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, KU Leuven – University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium 

^d Faculty of Medicine, University of Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines, Montigny-le-Bretonneux 78180, France 

^e Division of Psychology and Mental Health, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, UK 

^f NICM Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Westmead, Australia 

^g Centre for Youth Mental Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia 

^h Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center of Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 

ⁱ School of Psychology and Sport Science, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK 

^j Department of Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Research, Alberta Health Services, Holy Cross Centre, Calgary, Alberta, Canada 

^k Faculty of Sport Sciences, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain 

^l Unit Suicide Research, Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Center of Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria 

^m National Research Council, Neuroscience Institute, aging branch, Padova, Italy 

ⁿ Research and Development Unit, Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu, CIBERSAM, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain 

^o ICREA, Pg. Lluis Companys 23, Barcelona, Spain

Received 13 June 2019, Revised 6 September 2019, Accepted 6 September 2019, Available online 7 September 2019.

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2019.112564Get rights and content

Abstract
Background
The aim was to investigate the relationship between sexual behaviors and suicide attempts by using data from 38 countries from four World Health Organization regions.

Methods
Cross-sectional data from 116,820 adolescents aged 12–15 years participating in the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2009–2016 were analyzed. Data on sexual behaviors were collected: (i) ever having had intercourse; among those who reported having had intercourse, (ii) multiple (≥2) lifetime sexual partners and (iii) condom use in last sexual intercourse and past 12-month suicide attempts were self-reported. Associations were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression.

Results
The prevalence of sexual intercourse and suicide attempts were 13.2% and 9.1%, respectively. A positive association between sexual intercourse and suicide attempts was found in 32 of the 38 countries (pooled OR for whole sample 2.12 [95% CI 1.98–2.27]). Having had multiple sexual partners was associated with increased odds of suicide attempts (pooled OR for whole sample 1.58 [1.27–1.96]). Condom non-use was only associated with suicide attempts among boys in the Americas (OR: 1.75 [1.25–2.45]).

Conclusion
Engaging in sexual intercourse was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt. Moreover, having had multiple sexual partners may also increase the risk of suicide attempts.

Keywords
Sexual Behaviour
Suicide
Adolescents
Epidemiology

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165178119313113