Childhood externalizing, internalizing and comorbid problems: distinguishing young adults who think about suicide from those who attempt suicide
Abstract : BACKGROUND: While
childhood externalizing, internalizing and comorbid problems have been
associated with suicidal risk, little is known about their specific
associations with suicidal ideation and attempts. We examined
associations between childhood externalizing, internalizing and comorbid
problems and suicidal ideation (without attempts) and attempts by early
adulthood, in males and females. METHOD: Participants were from the
Quebec Longitudinal Study of Kindergarten Children, a population-based
study of kindergarteners in Quebec from 1986 to 1988 and followed-up
until 2005. We captured the co-development of teacher-rated
externalizing and internalizing problems at age 6-12 using
multitrajectories. Using the Diagnostic Interview Schedule administered
at age 15 and 22, we identified individuals (1) who never experienced
suicidal ideation/attempts, (2) experienced suicidal ideation but never
attempted suicide and (3) attempted suicide. RESULTS: The identified
profiles were no/low problems (45%), externalizing (29%), internalizing
(11%) and comorbid problems (13%). After adjusting for socioeconomic and
familial characteristics, children with externalizing (OR 2.00, CI
1.39-2.88), internalizing (OR 2.34, CI 1.51-3.64) and comorbid (OR 3.29,
CI 2.05-5.29) problems were at higher risk of attempting suicide (v.
non-suicidal) by age 22 than those with low/no problems. Females with
comorbid problems were at higher risk of attempting suicide than females
with one problem. Childhood problems were not associated with suicidal
ideation. Externalizing (OR 2.01, CI 1.29-3.12) and comorbid problems
(OR 2.28, CI 1.29-4.03) distinguished individuals who attempted suicide
from those who thought about suicide without attempting. CONCLUSION:
Childhood externalizing problems alone or combined with internalizing
problems were associated with suicide attempts, but not ideation
(without attempts), suggesting that these problems confer a specific
risk for suicide attempts.
Soumis le : jeudi 15 juillet 2021 - 14:37:43
Dernière modification le : vendredi 16 juillet 2021
Soumis le : jeudi 15 juillet 2021 - 14:37:43
Dernière modification le : vendredi 16 juillet 2021