Longitudinal trajectories of suicidal ideation among child welfare-involved 7- to 12-year-old children.

BACKGROUND: Young children involved in the child welfare system (CWS) are at high risk for suicidal ideation (SI) at a time when overall rates of suicide death in this age group are rising. Yet risk factors for and changes in SI over time are poorly understood in this population. METHOD: We combined data from two large representative longitudinal studies of children involved in the United States CWS. We examined patterns of SI among children who were between ages 7 and 12 years at the initial survey wave (N = 2,186), assessed at three waves using a measure of SI in the past 2 weeks. We conducted a multinomial regression to understand the baseline demographic, child maltreatment, and mental health characteristics that distinguish the trajectories. RESULTS: There were eight different subgroups (Non-Ideators, Late Ideators, Boomerang Ideators, Delayed Ideators, Desisters, Boomerang Non-Ideators, Late Desisters, and Persisters). Differences in race, type of maltreatment, sex, and mental health symptoms were identified when comparing Persisters (SI at all three waves) to other groups. CONCLUSIONS: These findings can help researchers and practitioners to develop strategies for better identifying CWS-involved children who are in greatest need of suicide risk monitoring and intervention.

Factors Associated with Distinct Patterns of Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide Plans, and Suicide Attempts Among US Adolescents.

The current study examined demographic, psychosocial, and substance use factors associated with distinct patterns of past 12-month suicide thoughts, plans, and attempts among adolescents drawn from a nationally representative sample of high schoolers. Data were from the 2015, 2017, and 2019 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Four mutually exclusive 12-month suicidal behavior patterns were identified: suicide thoughts only (pattern 1), suicide thoughts and plans without suicide attempt (pattern 2), suicide attempt with thoughts and/or plans (pattern 3), and suicide attempt without thoughts or plans (pattern 4). Multinomial logistic regression analyses were conducted to examine factors correlated with these distinct patterns. Psychosocial and substance use factors were modeled as independent predictors, controlling for demographic characteristics, as well as simultaneously to represent the potential for co-occurrence. The analytic sample included 7491 respondents. About 24% (n = 1734) of youth endorsed pattern 1, 38% (n = 2779) pattern 2, 35% (n = 2716) pattern 3, and 3% (n = 262) pattern 4. All psychosocial and substance use factors measured were individually associated with greater odds of suicide attempts with thoughts or plans (pattern 3) than patterns 1 or 2. Black and male youth were at greater odds of suicide attempts without thoughts or plans (pattern 4) than all other patterns. When modeled simultaneously, respondents who were bullied online, sad or hopeless, had a history of sexual violence, used cigarettes, and misused prescription opiates retained greater odds of suicide attempts with thoughts or plans (pattern 3) than patterns 1 or 2. Findings suggest screening for suicidal behaviors should include factors that differentiate between varying suicidal expressions and that may cue providers to intervene in the absence of suicide thoughts and plans.

Emotion Regulation in Elementary School-Aged Children with a Maternal History of Suicidal Behavior: A Pilot Study.

Parental history of suicidal behavior is associated with an increased risk of early onset suicidal behavior in their offspring. The objective of this pilot study was to compare clinical characteristics, temperament, and emotion regulation in children, aged 6-9 years, with (PH+) and without (PH-) a maternal history of suicidal behavior to determine which factors could be markers of early vulnerability. At baseline, PH+ children, compared to PH- children, demonstrated more difficulties with temperament, emotion regulation, and experienced more life events in the year prior to their baseline appointment. At study follow-ups, however, no differences were found between PH+ and PH- children. Results suggest there are some signals of early vulnerability present in children with a maternal history of suicidal behavior and recruitment/retention of this group of youth is feasible.

Preteen Suicide Risk Screening in the Pediatric Outpatient Setting: A Clinical Pathway.

We are in a youth mental health crisis with unprecedented and staggeringly high rates of suicidal ideations and suicide behaviors in preteens. In the United States 14.5% of children aged 9-10 have experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors, including 1.3% with a suicide attempt. American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines call for universal suicide risk screening of youth aged 12+ years during preventative healthcare visits, and screening in preteens aged 8-11 years when clinically indicated. However, what constitutes a clinical indication at 8-11 years can be difficult to systematically detect and pediatric practitioners may not be equipped with necessary age-specific assessment tools. This is compounded by the lack of emphasis on preteen suicide risk screening (and focus on adolescents), which leaves practitioners without age-appropriate resources to make clinical determinations for at-risk preteens. The objective of this project was thus to develop an evidence-informed suicide risk screening pathway for pediatric practitioners to implement with preteen patients in outpatient settings. Suicide risk assessment in younger children (<8 years) is also briefly addressed. We convened a group of researchers and practitioners with expertise in preadolescent suicide, pediatric medicine, behavioral health screening integration with primary care, and child development. They reviewed the empirical literature and existing practice guidelines to iterate on a multi-informant clinical suicide risk screening pathway for preteens that includes both caregivers and preteens in the screening process. We also developed tools and accompanying guidelines for a preteen suicide risk screening workflow and risk determination to aid practitioners in deciding who, when, and how to screen. Finally, we provide scripts for introducing suicide risk screening to caregivers and preteens and to discuss screening findings.

Alterations in performance and discriminating power of the death/suicide implicit association test across the lifespan.

The Death/Suicide Implicit Association Test (d/s-IAT) has differentiated individuals with prior and prospective suicide attempts in previous studies, however, age effects on test results remains to be explored. A three-site study compared performance on the d/s-IAT among participants aged 16-80 years with depression and prior suicide attempt (n = 82), with depression and no attempts (n = 80), and healthy controls (n = 86). Outcome measures included the standard difference (D) score, median reaction times, and error rates. Higher D scores represent a stronger association between death/suicide and self, while lower scores represent a stronger association between life and self. The D scores differed significantly among groups overall. Participants with depression exhibited higher scores compared to healthy controls, but there was no difference between participants with and without prior suicide attempts(F[2,242]=8.76, p<.001). Response times for participants with prior attempts differed significantly from other groups, with no significant differences in error rates. The D score was significantly affected by age (ß =-0.007, t = 3.65, p<.001), with slowing of response times in older ages. Results suggest reaction time d/s-IAT D scores may not distinguish implicit thinking about suicide as response times slow with age, but slowed response times may be sensitive to suicide risk potentially indicating basic information processing deficits.

Adolescent attachment security, family functioning, and suicide attempts.

Theories of suicidal behavior suggest that the desire to die can arise from disruption of interpersonal relationships. Suicide research has typically studied this from the individual's perspective of the quality/frequency of their social interactions; however, the field of attachment may offer another perspective on understanding an individual's social patterns and suicide risk. This study examined attachment along with broader family functioning (family adaptability and cohesion) among 236 adolescent psychiatric inpatients with (n = 111) and without (n = 125) histories of suicide attempts. On average, adolescents were 14 years of age and Hispanic (69%). Compared to those without suicide attempts, adolescent attempters had lower self-reported maternal and paternal attachment and lower familial adaptability and cohesion. When comparing all three types of attachment simultaneously in the logistic regression model predicting suicide attempt status, paternal attachment was the only significant predictor. Suicide attempt group was also significantly predicted by self-rated Cohesion and Adaptability; neither of the parent ratings of family functioning were significant predictors. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide about social functioning and support the efforts to develop attachment-based interventions as a novel route towards suicide prevention.

Severity and Transition of Suicidal Behaviors in Childhood: Sex, Racial, and Ethnic Differences in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

PURPOSE: To examine the prevalence, incidence, and transitions of suicide ideation and attempts and sex and racial/ethnic differences among children enrolled in three yearly assessments of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. The forms of suicidal ideation (SI) (no SI, passive, nonspecific active, and active) among those who attempted suicide were also described. METHODS: A subsample of 9,923 children (9-10 years old at baseline, 48.6% female) completed the KSADS-5 questions about suicide ideation and attempts in three yearly assessment (83.5% of baseline sample). RESULTS: Almost 18% of the children reported suicidal ideation and 2.2% a suicide attempt at one of the three assessments. Passive (6.9%) and nonspecific active (6.4%) were the most frequent forms of suicidal ideation reported. Of the children with suicidal ideation at baseline, 5.9% first attempted suicide in the two subsequent years. Boys (vs. girls) reported more suicidal ideation at baseline. Black children (vs. White and Hispanic/Latinx) and girls (vs. boys) were more likely to start thinking about suicide over time. Black children (vs. White) reported more suicide attempts at baseline and across assessments. More than half of the children who attempted suicide at any assessment reported nonspecific active suicidal ideation (desire to kill oneself without plan/intent/method) as the most severe form of ideation. DISCUSSION: Findings suggest a high prevalence of suicidal ideation among children in the US. When conducting risk assessments, clinicians should consider both active and nonspecific active suicidal ideation. Early intervention with children who are thinking about suicide may reduce their risk for attempting suicide.

Neurocognitive and clinical characteristics of elementary school-aged children with a history of suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

BACKGROUND: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in elementary school-aged youth have increased in recent years. Understanding the risks associated with childhood STBs is necessary for prevention efforts. METHODS: The current study examined clinical and neurocognitive characteristics of a community sample of elementary school-aged children with (STB+) and without (STB-) a history of STBs. The final sample included 93 families with children average age of 7.8 years (SD = 1.3). Children in this sample were racially diverse, evenly split by sex, and most identified as non-Hispanic. Neurocognitive functioning was assessed using computerized behavioral measures. Child clinical characteristics were assessed using self-report measures and STB history was assessed using semi-structured interviews. RESULTS: Of the 93 families, 64 STB- children and 29 STB+ children participated. On average, STB+ children were older, reported higher levels of depressive and anxiety symptoms, and were more likely to have a parental history of suicidal behavior (PH+). Regarding neurocognitive functioning, STB+ children exhibited lower raw scores for both the NIH Dimensional Change Card Sort Task (NIH-DCCS) and NIH Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test (NIH-Flanker). Multivariable regression analyses revealed raw scores for NIH-DCCS and NIH-Flanker, PH+ status, and child age were associated with childhood STBs. LIMITATIONS: Prospective data is needed to confirm cross-sectional findings. CONCLUSIONS: Poorer neurocognitive functioning and PH+ status may serve as risk markers for STBs in elementary school-aged children. Targeting prevention programming for these risks may reduce the likelihood of STBs in at-risk elementary school-aged youth.

Youth Suicide During the First Year of the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: To identify potential differential changes in youth suicide deaths associated with the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic to better inform suicide prevention strategies. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analyzed national suicide data for US youth aged 5 to 24 years from 2015 to 2020. Annual and monthly numbers of suicides were extracted overall and by sex, age, race and ethnicity, and method. Expected suicides were modeled from the trend in monthly deaths before COVID-19 (January 1, 2015-February 29, 2020), by using interrupted time-series analyses with quasi-Poisson regression. Rate ratios (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) were used to compare expected and observed suicides during the first 10 months of COVID-19 (March 1, 2020-December 31, 2020). RESULTS: Among 5568 identified youth suicides during the 2020 pandemic, 4408 (79.2%) were male, 1009 (18.1%) Hispanic, 170 (3.3%) non-Hispanic American Indian/Alaska Native, 262 (4.7%) Asian/Pacific Islander, 801 (14.4%) Black, and 3321 (59.6%) white. There was a significant increase in overall observed versus expected youth suicides during the COVID-19 pandemic (RR = 1.04, 95% CI = 1.01-1.07), equivalent to an estimated 212 excess deaths. Demographic subgroups including males (RR = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.02-1.08), youth aged 5 to 12 years (RR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.03-1.41) and 18 to 24 years (RR =1.05, 95% CI = 1.02-1.08), non-Hispanic AI/AN youth (RR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.03-1.39), Black youth (RR = 1.20, 95% CI = 1.12-1.29), and youth who died by firearms (RR = 1.14, 95% CI = 1.10-1.19) experienced significantly more suicides than expected. CONCLUSIONS: Suicide deaths among US youth increased during COVID-19, with substantial variation by sex, age, race and ethnicity, and suicide method. Suicide prevention strategies must be tailored to better address disparities in youth suicide risk.

Black Youth Suicide: Investigation of Current Trends and Precipitating Circumstances.

OBJECTIVE: Suicide among Black youth is a significant public health concern, yet research investigating the epidemiology of suicide in this population is limited. This study examines current trends and precipitating circumstances of suicide by sex and age group in Black youth 5 to 17 years of age, using 2 national databases. METHOD: Data from the Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS) and the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) were used to investigate trends and precipitating circumstances of Black youth suicide from 2003 to 2017. We hypothesized suicide rates would increase over time for both sexes and all age groups (5-11, 12-14, and 15-17 years), and precipitating circumstances would differ by sex and age group. Trend analyses were conducted using Joinpoint regression software, version 4.8.0.01 (Surveillance Research Program, National Cancer Institute). Sex and age group comparisons of characteristics and precipitating circumstances were conducted using standard univariate statistical tests. RESULTS: From 2003 to 2017, Black youth experienced a significant upward trend in suicide with the largest annual percentage change in the 15- to 17-year age group and among girls (4.9% and 6.6%, respectively). Mental health problems, relationship problems, interpersonal trauma and life stressors, and prior suicidal thoughts/behavior were the most common clinical characteristics and precipitating circumstances, with several varying by sex and age group. CONCLUSION: Increases in Black youth suicide calls for the prioritization of research aimed at identifying specific risk and protective factors as well as developmental mechanisms associated with Black youth suicidal behavior. To implement effective suicide prevention programming, understanding targets for intervention is necessary.

Age effects on clinical and neurocognitive risk factors for suicide attempt in depression - Findings from the AFSP lifespan study.

BACKGROUND: Studies of risk factors for suicidal behavior are typically restricted to narrow age ranges, making it difficult to determine if they have the same relevance or potency across the full adult lifespan. METHODS: This study examined selected clinical and neurocognitive risk factors for suicidal behavior - borderline personality traits, aggression, depressive rumination, memory performance, and language fluency- in a multi-site sample (N = 309, ages 16-80) of depressed patients with a recent (last 5 years) suicide attempt or no history of attempt, and demographically similar non-psychiatric controls. We examined cross-sectional age and attempter/non-attempter differences on these risk factors, and whether certain risk factors were more prominent discriminators of past suicide attempt earlier or later in the lifespan. Correlations with age were computed, and logistic regression was used to classify attempter status based on each risk factor and its interaction with age. RESULTS: Nearly all risk factors were negatively correlated with age. Borderline traits, aggression, memory, and category fluency each predicted attempter status (p < 0.05), but these effects were not different across ages. In contrast, the association between rumination and suicide attempt status differed across the lifespan, becoming a stronger discriminator of past suicidal behavior at older ages. LIMITATIONS: The cross-sectional design limits our developmental findings. CONCLUSIONS: Despite age-related changes in symptom severity or neurocognitive performance, key risk factors for suicidal behavior previously identified in studies with more restricted age-ranges are salient throughout the adult lifespan. In contrast, depressive rumination may be particularly salient in later life.

The impact of peer influencing on adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to examine the role of peer influence on adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts within youth seeking emergency care or outpatient mental health services. We examined whether affiliation with peers reporting suicidal thoughts/behaviors was associated with an adolescent's own suicidal ideation and/or suicide attempt beyond individual risk factors. METHODS: One hundred and eighteen adolescents, ages 13-18, were recruited from the emergency department and outpatient mental health clinics at a large, metropolitan children's hospital. Adolescents with suicidal ideation in the past six months (ideators, n=19) and with a suicide attempt in the past year (attempters, n=40) were matched with controls with no history of ideation or attempt on age (±1 year), sex, and race. Adolescents and parents completed semi-structured interviews and self-report questionnaires to examine individual and peer associated risk factors. RESULTS: Both ideators and attempters were more likely to affiliate with peers with suicidal behavior compared to their matched controls. However, affiliation with suicidal peers was only associated with attempter group status after controlling for individual risk factors. CONCLUSION: Affiliation with peers reporting suicidal thoughts/behaviors was linked to an adolescent's own history of suicide attempt. Through understanding peer affiliation, peers may be an important resource for both identifying and preventing youth suicidal behavior. Evidence-based programs that focus and utilize peer influence may be invaluable for prevention efforts.

Clinical risk factors, emotional reactivity/regulation and suicidal ideation in elementary school-aged children.

OBJECTIVE: Suicidal behavior (SB) in young children is rare yet in 2019, suicide was the fifth leading cause of death in 5-12-year-old youth. Understanding the risks associated with childhood suicidal ideation (SI) and SB will determine which factors should be targeted for prevention programming. This study examined clinical characteristics and emotional reactivity/regulation (ERR) in children with (SI+) and without (SI-) SI. METHOD: One hundred seventeen children, 6-9 years, and one biological parent were enrolled. Children completed interviews concerning SI/SB and parents completed interviews/self-reports about SI/SB, psychiatric distress, and history of abuse/neglect and their child's SI/SB, mental health, and ERR. Independent t-tests and Chi-square analyses using Bonferroni correction were conducted to examine SI group differences. Variables were then screened using forward stepwise logistic regression to determine association with SI + status. The final logistic regression included variables that survived screening procedures only. RESULTS: Univariate analyses revealed SI + children were more likely to have a parental history of suicide attempt (PH+), higher rates of current psychotropic medication use, higher scores on the CBCL-DSM oriented scales (e.g., ADHD problems), and higher negative affect compared to SI- children. After analytic screening procedures, PH+, anxiety problems, ADHD problems, and anger survived. The final logistic regression revealed PH + status and anxiety problems were associated with SI + status. CONCLUSION: Long-term follow-up is needed to determine if these factors are predictive of a first-time suicide attempt in this at-risk group.

Characteristics and Precipitating Circumstances of Suicide Among Children Aged 5 to 11 Years in the United States, 2013-2017.

Importance: Suicide is the eighth leading cause of death among children aged 5 to 11 years, with rates increasing during the past decade. A better understanding of factors associated with childhood suicide can inform developmentally appropriate prevention strategies. Objective: To examine characteristics and precipitating circumstances of childhood suicide. Design, Setting, and Participants: This qualitative study examined restricted-use data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) regarding child suicide decedents aged 5 to 11 years in the US from 2013 to 2017. The NVDRS is a state-based surveillance system that collects data on suicide and violent deaths in 50 states, with restricted-use data available from 37 states. Details and context related to suicide deaths were identified through a content analysis of case narratives from coroner or medical examiner and law enforcement reports associated with each incident. Exposures: Characteristics and precipitating circumstances associated with suicide cited in the coroner, medical examiner, and law enforcement case narratives. Main Outcomes and Measures: Suicide incidence and risk factors for suicide including mental health, prior suicidal behavior, trauma, and peer, school, or family-related problems. Results: Analyses included 134 child decedents (101 [75.4%] males; 79 [59.0%] White individuals; 109 [81.3%] non-Hispanic individuals; mean [SD] age, 10.6 [0.8] years). Most suicides occurred in the child's home (95.5% [n = 128]), and more specifically in the child's bedroom. Suicide by hanging or suffocation (78.4% [n = 105]) was the most frequent method, followed by firearms (18.7% [n = 25]). Details on gun access were noted in 88.0% (n = 22) of suicides by firearm, and in every case, the child obtained a firearm stored unsafely in the home. Findings revealed childhood suicide was associated with numerous risk factors accumulated over time, and suggest a progression toward suicidal behavior, especially for youth with a history of psychopathology and suicidal behavior. An argument between the child and a family member and/or disciplinary action was often a precipitating circumstance of the suicide. Conclusions and Relevance: This qualitative study found that childhood suicide was associated with multiple risk factors and commonly preceded by a negative precipitating event. Potential prevention strategies include improvements in suicide risk assessment, family relations, and lethal means restriction, particularly safe firearm storage. Future research examining the myriad aspects of childhood suicide, including racial/ethnic and sex differences, is needed.

Depressed Mood Prior to Death.

Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth in the United States. Multiple factors have been shown to increase risk for suicidal behavior, including depressed mood. Aims: The purpose of this study was to examine individual characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide in youth decedents with and without depressed mood at the time of death. Method: Data from the National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) were analyzed for 17 US states from 2003 to 2012. Participants included suicide decedents aged 10-19 years (N = 4,053). Analyses compared youth suicide decedents with depressed mood at time of death with those without depressed mood using logistic regression. Sex-specific differences in youth with depressed mood were also explored. Results: Youth suicide decedents with depressed mood were more likely than those without depressed mood to exhibit clinical characteristics and precipitating circumstances associated with suicide. Comparison of males and females with depressed mood found unique sex-specific differences. Limitations: Data were limited to 17 states, analyses did not include a control group, and data were collected through postmortem reporting. Conclusion: Findings support a significant association between depressed mood and factors associated with suicidal behavior in youth and offer potential areas to focus prevention strategies.

Neurocognitive vulnerability to youth suicidal behavior.

Neurocognitive deficits have been associated with suicidal behavior in adults with major depressive disorder (MDD), but it is unclear if similar impairments are linked to youth suicidal behavior. This study compared neurocognitive functioning in suicidal and non-suicidal youth with a lifetime history of MDD and explored whether neurocognitive functioning predicted future suicide attempts. Neurocognition was examined using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) and Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) in 309 youths ages 12-15 (117 suicide attempters; 132 suicidal ideators; 60 never-suicidal). Prospective analyses included 284 youths (41 youth with a future attempt; 243 without a future attempt). Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) yielded a significant group-by-sex interaction effect [Wilks' Λ = 0.901, F (16, 560) = 1.87, p = .021] for the primary neurocognitive outcomes, guiding the decision to stratify the sample by sex. Female suicide attempters and ideators were slower to respond correctly to both positive and negative emotion words than never-suicidal controls on tests of affective bias. Male suicide attempters and ideators made significantly more total and between errors than never-suicidal subjects. Exploratory analyses found that total commission errors on the Affective Go/No-Go (AGN) test significantly predicted future suicide attempts in females, and that higher strategy scores on Spatial Working Memory (SWM) tests predicted future male attempts. Study findings identified sex-specific neurocognitive deficits that differentiate suicidal and non-suicidal youth with histories of MDD. Extended longitudinal studies are needed to elucidate the temporal association between neurocognitive impairments and suicidal behavior and frame targets for early preventive interventions.

Association Between the Release of Netflix's 13 Reasons Why and Suicide Rates in the United States: An Interrupted Time Series Analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate the association between the release of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why and suicide rates in the United States. METHOD: Using segmented quasi-Poisson regression and Holt-Winters forecasting models, we assessed monthly rates of suicide among individuals aged 10 to 64 years grouped into 3 age categories (10-17, 18-29, and 30-64 years) between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2017, before and after the release of 13 Reasons Why on March 31, 2017. We also assessed the impact of the show's release on a control outcome, homicide deaths. RESULTS: After accounting for seasonal effects and an underlying increasing trend in monthly suicide rates, the overall suicide rate among 10- to 17-year-olds increased significantly in the month immediately following the release of 13 Reasons Why (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 1.29; 95% CI, 1.09-1.53); Holt-Winters forecasting revealed elevated observed suicide rates in the month after release and in two subsequent months, relative to corresponding forecasted rates. Contrary to expectations, these associations were restricted to boys. Among 18- to 29-year-olds and 30- to 64-year-olds, we found no significant change in level or trend of suicide after the show's release, both overall and by sex. The show's release had no apparent impact in the control analyses of homicide deaths within any age group. CONCLUSION: The release of 13 Reasons Why was associated with a significant increase in monthly suicide rates among US youth aged 10 to 17 years. Caution regarding the exposure of children and adolescents to the series is warranted.

Old-for-Grade Status and Suicide Risk in U.S. High School Students.

Health-risk behaviors associated with increased risk of suicide are more prevalent in old-for-grade students compared to age-appropriate-for-grade peers; however, the association between old-for-grade status and suicidal behavior is largely unknown. This study investigated sex-specific differences in suicidal ideation, planning, attempts, and other risk behaviors by old-for-grade status. Secondary analyses utilizing bivariate and logistic regression methods for complex samples were conducted using data from the 2011, 2013, and 2015 National Youth Risk Behavior Survey for 16,579 female and 17,282 male high school students in grades 9 through 11. Among both males and females, students considered old-for-grade reported increased drug use, feeling sad/hopeless, violence, sexual activity, and limited/no seatbelt use compared with their peers. Old-for-grade students were also more likely to report a suicide attempt with increased suicidal ideation and planning observed only in old-for-grade males. Associations between old-for-grade status and suicide risk-related outcomes were attenuated in both sexes after adjusting for demographic characteristics and other health-risk behaviors. Findings suggest that common risk factors (e.g., sadness, substance use) may explain increased rates of suicidal behaviors in old-for-grade students.

Trends of Suicidal Behaviors Among High School Students in the United States: 1991-2017.

OBJECTIVES: To determine if racial and ethnic subgroups of adolescents are at high risk for engagement in suicidal behaviors. METHODS: Using the nationally representative school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey from the years 1991 to 2017, we conducted logistic regression analyses to examine trends by different racial and ethnic groups, with each suicide indicator serving as a dichotomous outcome. Participants included 198 540 high school students. RESULTS: Across all sex and race and ethnic groups, there were significant linear decreases in self-reported suicidal ideation and suicide plans from 1991 to 2017. Female adolescents (odds ratio [OR], 0.98; P < .001) had significant decreases in attempts over time. Black adolescents had positive linear trends for suicide attempts among both boys (OR, 1.04; P < .001) and girls (OR, 1.02; P = .003). Black adolescent boys (OR, 1.04; P = .048) had a significant linear increase in injury by attempt. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that, over time, black youth have experienced an increase in suicide attempts, which is troubling because attempts are the most prominent risk factor associated with suicide death. For black boys, a significant increase in injury by attempt occurred, which suggests that black boys may be engaging in increasingly lethal means when attempting suicide. Examining trends of suicidal thoughts and behaviors over time by sex and race and ethnicity allow us to determine where to focus prevention and intervention efforts. Future research should examine the underlying reasons for these changes observed in US high school students.

The Importance of Screening Preteens for Suicide Risk in the Emergency Department.

OBJECTIVES: To describe the prevalence of screening positive for suicide risk in a sample of 10- to 12-year-olds presenting to the emergency department (ED). METHODS: Patients presenting to the ED were administered a battery of measures, including the Ask Suicide-Screening Questions and the criterion-standard Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire. Answering affirmatively to any of the 4 Ask Suicide-Screening Questions and/or scoring above the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire cutoff score was considered a positive screen result for suicide risk. RESULTS: The sample included 79 preteen patients. The overall positive screen result rate was 29.1% (23 of 79). More than half (54.1%) of patients presenting with psychiatric chief complaints screened positive for suicide risk, and 7.1% of preteens presenting with chief medical complaints screened positive. Of preteens, 17.7% (14 of 79) reported previous suicidal behavior. CONCLUSIONS: Preteens think about suicide and engage in suicidal behavior at rates that warrant further study. Notably, 7% of preteens presenting with chief medical complaints screened positive, highlighting the importance of screening all preteen patients as young as 10 years old for suicide risk in the ED.