Youth Suicide and Preceding Mental Health Diagnosis

Sofia Chaudhary, Department of Pediatrics and Emergency Medicine, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia.
Jennifer A. Hoffmann, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Christian D. Pulcini, Department of Emergency Medicine and Pediatrics, University of Vermont Medical Center and Children's Hospital, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont.
Mark Zamani, Children's Hospital Association, Lenexa, Kansas.
Matt Hall, Children's Hospital Association, Lenexa, Kansas.
Kristyn N. Jeffries, Department of Pediatrics, Section of Hospital Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock.
Rachel Myers, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Joel Fein, Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia.
Bonnie T. Zima, Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, University of California at Los Angeles.
Peter F. Ehrlich, Section of Pediatric Surgery, CS Mott Children's Hospital, University of Michigan Ann Arbor.
Elizabeth R. Alpern, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Stephen Hargarten, Department of Emergency Medicine, Comprehensive Injury Center, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
Karen M. Sheehan, Department of Pediatrics, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois.
Eric W. Fleegler, Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts.
Monika K. Goyal, Department of Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital, George Washington University, Washington, DC.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

7-1-2024

Journal

JAMA network open

Volume

7

Issue

7

DOI

10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.23996

Abstract

IMPORTANCE: Suicide is a leading cause of death among US youths, and mental health disorders are a known factor associated with increased suicide risk. Knowledge about potential sociodemographic differences in documented mental health diagnoses may guide prevention efforts. OBJECTIVE: To examine the association of documented mental health diagnosis with (1) sociodemographic and clinical characteristics, (2) precipitating circumstances, and (3) mechanism among youth suicide decedents. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This retrospective, cross-sectional study of youth suicide decedents aged 10 to 24 years used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Violent Death Reporting System from 2010 to 2021. Data analysis was conducted from January to November 2023. EXPOSURES: Sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, precipitating circumstances, and suicide mechanism. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary outcome was previously documented presence of a mental health diagnosis. Associations were evaluated by multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS: Among 40 618 youth suicide decedents (23 602 aged 20 to 24 years [58.1%]; 32 167 male [79.2%]; 1190 American Indian or Alaska Native [2.9%]; 1680 Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander [4.2%]; 5118 Black [12.7%]; 5334 Hispanic [13.2%]; 35 034 non-Hispanic; 30 756 White [76.1%]), 16 426 (40.4%) had a documented mental health diagnosis and 19 027 (46.8%) died by firearms. The adjusted odds of having a mental health diagnosis were lower among youths who were American Indian or Alaska Native (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.45; 95% CI, 0.39-0.51); Asian, Native Hawaiian, or Other Pacific Islander (aOR, 0.58; 95% CI, 0.52-0.64); and Black (aOR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.58-0.66) compared with White youths; lower among Hispanic youths (aOR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.72-0.82) compared with non-Hispanic youths; lower among youths aged 10 to 14 years (aOR, 0.70; 95% CI, 0.65-0.76) compared with youths aged 20 to 24 years; and higher for females (aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.56-1.73) than males. A mental health diagnosis was documented for 6308 of 19 027 youths who died by firearms (33.2%); 1691 of 2743 youths who died by poisonings (61.6%); 7017 of 15 331 youths who died by hanging, strangulation, or suffocation (45.8%); and 1407 of 3181 youths who died by other mechanisms (44.2%). Compared with firearm suicides, the adjusted odds of having a documented mental health diagnosis were higher for suicides by poisoning (aOR, 1.70; 95% CI, 1.62-1.78); hanging, strangulation, and suffocation (aOR, 2.78; 95% CI, 2.55-3.03); and other mechanisms (aOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.47-1.72). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In this cross-sectional study, 3 of 5 youth suicide decedents did not have a documented preceding mental health diagnosis; the odds of having a mental health diagnosis were lower among racially and ethnically minoritized youths than White youths and among firearm suicides compared with other mechanisms. These findings underscore the need for equitable identification of mental health needs and universal lethal means counseling as strategies to prevent youth suicide.

Department

Pediatrics

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