Suicide risk in high school students: who are the most vulnerable groups?

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the prevalence and factors associated with suicide risk among high school students from a federal educational institution in Rio Grande do Sul (IFRS). Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on a census of students (n=510) enrolled in IFRS, campus Rio Grande, in the second half of 2019. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. Suicide risk was measured with the instrument Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview, and data were analyzed using Poisson regression with robust variance adjustment. Results: The prevalence of high suicide risk was 17.3% (95% confidence interval — 95%CI 14.0–20.0), with the following independent associated factors: female gender, higher socioeconomic status, alcohol consumption, less social support, attempt to lose weight, self-harm behavior, and increased risk of depression, anxiety, and stress. Conclusions: One in six students showed a high suicide risk. The identification of factors associated with the outcome is useful for detecting the most severe cases and referring them to specialized care.