Early life predictors of adolescent suicidal thoughts and adverse outcomes in two population-based cohort studies

Abstract

BackgroundUnderstanding suicidality has proven challenging given the complex aetiology in early childhood. Being able to accurately predict groups at increased risk of developing suicidal thoughts may aid in the development of targeted prevention programs that mitigate increased vulnerability. Further, the predictors of suicidal thoughts may be shared with other outcomes in adolescence. Previous research has linked many factors to suicidality, so the objective of this study was to consider how these factors may act together to increase risk of suicidal thoughts and other non-mental health outcomes.MethodsTwo longitudinal datasets were used in this analysis: the National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth (NLSCY) and the Avon Longitudinal Survey of Parents and Children (ALSPAC). A Classification and Regression Tree model comprised of 75 factors describing early childhood was constructed to identify subgroups of adolescents at high risk of suicidal thoughts in the NLSCY and was validated in ALSPAC. These subgroups were investigated to see if they also had elevated rates of antisocial behaviour, substance misuse, poor physical health, poor mental health, risky health behaviours, and/or poor academic performance.ResultsThe sensitivity was calculated to be 22·7%, specificity was 89·2%, positive predictive value 17·8%, and negative predictive value 91·8% and had similar accuracy in the validation dataset. The models were better at predicting other adverse outcomes compared to suicidal thoughts.ConclusionThere are groups of risk factors present in early life that can predict higher risk of suicidality in adolescence. Notably, these factors were also predictive of a range of adverse outcomes in adolescence.

Early-Life Adversity, but Not Suicide, Is Associated With Less Prefrontal Cortex Gray Matter in Adulthood

“…Early-life adversity (ELA) is associated with increased risk for suicide (Johnson et al, 2002; Labonte and Turecki, 2012; Turecki et al, 2012; Dykxhoorn et al, 2017; Youssef et al, 2018) and adult depression (Miniati et al, 2010; Harkness et al, 2012; Heim and Binder, 2012; Nanni et al, 2012). We found lower neuron density in depressed suicide decedents and hypothesized lower neuron density contributes to higher levels of postsynaptic 5-HT 1A and 5-HT 2A receptors (Underwood and Arango, 2011; Underwood et al, 2012).…”

Evaluation of Risk Factors Affecting Substance Use among Tenth-Grade Students

“…During adolescence, alcohol and tobacco use, insufficient and unbalanced nutrition, use of addictive substances, unsafe sexual activity, and violence are risky health behaviors [ 21 ] and they tend to increase during this period [ 22 ]. The effort of adolescents to be accepted among friends, the desire to be treated as an adult, and effort to create a new identity result in risk taking and risky health behaviors [ 21 , 23 – 27 ].…”

Pathways from parenting practices to adolescent suicidality: Evidence on the role of emotional and behavioral symptoms from a prospective cohort of Canadian children

“…Suicide is a leading cause of death for youth (Cash & Bridge, 2009). Numerous potential risk or protective factors have been linked to adolescent suicidal thought (Evans et al, 2004); a recent review found 75 factors that increase or decrease risk for suicidality in adolescence (Dykxhoorn et al, 2017); however, a high proportion of these factors are non‐modifiable or weakly amenable to intervention (Evans et al, 2004).…”