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PubMed2005

Factors relating to adolescent suicidal behavior: a cross-sectional Malaysian school survey.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to examine factors relating to adolescent suicide behavior. METHOD: This was a cross-sectional school survey of 4,500 adolescent students based on a structured questionnaire. Data were collected using the supervised self-administered questionnaire (modified version of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance in the Malaysian National Language, Bahasa Malaysia). RESULTS: Seven percent (312 of 4,454) of the adolescent students had seriously considered attempting suicide. Among the adolescents, 4.6% had attempted suicide at least once during the 12 months preceding the survey. Female adolescents were more likely to put their suicidal thoughts into suicidal action than were male adolescents. Malay and Indian people are more likely than the Chinese to respond, "Felt sad and hopeless." However, Malay adolescents had the lowest rate of attempted suicide. Based on multiple logistic regression, factors significantly related to urban adolescents' suicide behavior are "Felt sad or hopeless," "Number of days felt unsafe to go to school," "Riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol," "Physical fight," and "Number of days absent from school." In comparison, factors relating to rural adolescents' suicide behavior are "Felt sad or hopeless," "Physical fight," "Physical fight resulting in injury," and "Drive a vehicle after drinking alcohol." CONCLUSION: Adolescent suicide behavior should be viewed as a serious problem. Measures can be taken to prevent suicide by looking at the factors significantly linked to suicidal behavior among adolescents. Steps can then be taken to identify adolescents who have serious suicidal ideation so that intervention can be taken to reduce the suicidal rate.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Alcohol and suicidal behavior in adolescents.

This review describes epidemiology, pathophysiology, risk factors, treatment and prevention of suicidal behavior in adolescents. As one of the leading causes of death of young adults, adolescent suicide has become a public health problem and an increase in the adolescent suicide rate has been observed over the past several decades. One important risk factor thought to contribute to the recent rise in suicidal behavior among young adults is increasing alcohol abuse among adolescents. The link between alcohol and suicide in adolescents is complicated and multiple risk factors are important in explaining and understanding suicidal behavior among adolescents. Comorbid psychopathology, which is common among adolescent alcohol abusers, substantially increases the risk for suicide behavior. Availability of alcohol and guns at home may also contribute to suicide risk in adolescents. Studies of stress hormones, brain neurotransmitters, hereditary factors, behavioral measures and gender differences shed light in understanding this complex phenomenon. Ideally, treatment of adolescents who receive a diagnosis of an alcohol use disorder and co-occurring suicidality should follow an integrated protocol that addresses both conditions. Future studies of psychological and neurobiological mechanisms of suicidality in adolescents with alcohol and/or substance abuse are merited.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2001

Self-mutilative behavior in adolescents who attempt suicide by overdose.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the cognitive/affective and behavioral symptoms of adolescent suicide attempters with self-mutilative behavior (SMB). METHOD: Adolescents evaluated after a suicide attempt that occurred between 1996 and 2000 were divided into two groups: suicide attempters with a history of SMB (n = 52) and suicide attempters without SMB (n = 43). The groups were then compared on psychiatric diagnosis, suicide intent, depression, hopelessness, loneliness, anger, reckless behavior, substance use, and family functioning. RESULTS: Carving on the skin and picking at a wound were the most commonly reported SMBs, occurring in about one third of the sample. The SMB group was significantly more likely to be diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder, major depression, and dysthymia and had higher scores on measures of hopelessness, loneliness, anger, risk taking, reckless behavior, and alcohol use than did the non-SMB group. Loneliness increased the odds of SMB almost 6-fold. CONCLUSIONS: Adolescent suicide attempts with SMB are associated with greater cognitive/affective and behavioral symptoms. Adolescent suicide attempters should be routinely screened for SMB.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2007

Predicting school dropout and adolescent sexual behavior in offspring of depressed and nondepressed mothers.

OBJECTIVE: To examine predictors of school dropout and adolescent sexual behavior in offspring of depressed and nondepressed mothers. Possible moderators of the relation between maternal depression and these outcomes also were explored. METHOD: Participants were 240 mothers and adolescents assessed annually from 6th through 12th grade. Interviews and questionnaires measured the chronicity and severity of the mother's depressive episodes, the mother's educational attainment, socioeconomic status, the presence of a father, the adolescent's IQ, externalizing behaviors, and substance use disorders. RESULTS: Substance use disorders before ninth grade significantly predicted higher rates of both school dropout and adolescent sexual behavior. Lower levels of mother's educational attainment and higher rates of adolescent's externalizing behaviors in grades 6 through 8 predicted higher school dropout. Higher IQ was associated with a lower likelihood of dropping out among offspring of never or moderately depressed mothers, but not for offspring of chronic/severely depressed mothers. Among offspring of never or moderately depressed mothers, the presence of a male head of household was associated with lower rates of adolescent sexual behavior, but not among offspring of chronically/severely depressed mothers. CONCLUSIONS: These findings have implications for the development of programs aimed at preventing behavior problems in high-risk adolescents.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

Adolescent problem behaviors: the influence of attachment and autonomy.

This article reviews current literature on adolescent problem behaviors and suggests that a model based on attachment theory and theories of adolescent autonomy and relatedness can help explain the development of these behaviors. When adolescents hold models of relationships with parents that are characterized by anger and insecurity and face increased pressures to seek autonomy, a high risk of problem behaviors ensues. Treatment implications flowing from this model are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2006

Ontogeny of fear-, anxiety- and depression-related behavior across adolescence in C57BL/6J mice.

Adolescence is characterized by behavioral traits such as emotional lability and impulsivity that are associated with increased vulnerability to affective illness and addictions. Research in rodents has found that adolescent rats and mice differ from adults on measures of anxiety-like behavior, novelty seeking and stress-responsivity. The present study sought to extend these data by evaluating fear-, anxiety- and depression-related behaviors in male C57BL/6J mice aged four (early adolescent), six (peri-adolescent) or eight (early adult) weeks of age. Age groups were compared on: Pavlovian fear conditioning and extinction, anxiety-like behavior and exploratory locomotion (using elevated plus-maze and novel open field), and depression-related behavior (via forced swim test). Results showed that early adolescent mice exhibited enhanced fear conditioning, but extinguished at a similar rate as adults. There were no major differences in anxiety-like behavior across age groups, although early adolescent and peri-adolescent mice exhibited less exploratory locomotion than adults. Depression-related immobility behavior in the forced swim test was lower in early adolescents than adult mice across three test exposures. Present findings in the C57BL/6J inbred strain add to growing evidence of changes in rodent fear- and stress-related behaviors across the developmental transition from juvenility through adulthood. Understanding the neural basis of these ontogenic changes could provide insight into the pathogenesis and treatment of affective disorders that have their origins in adolescence.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1991

The assessment of suicidal behavior in adolescents.

All available assessment instruments (N = 29) used to study suicidal behaviors in adolescents and young adults (age 12-20) were collected and reviewed. Instruments were found to vary substantially in purpose, format, informat, and theoretical orientation. The items from these tools (N = 461) were categorized according to behavior type (thoughts, feelings, or actions) and content categories (death/life-related, disease-promoting/preventing, injury-producing/reducing, person-reducing/enhancing, and factual information). The majority of the items were found to assess thoughts and were focused on death-related content. Recommendations include the need for more rigorous validation of instruments, clearer operational definitions, additional normative information, and expansion of the pool of available items to encompass a broader array of self-destructive behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Psychosocial correlates, outcome, and stability of abnormal adolescent eating behavior in community samples of young people.

OBJECTIVE: The current study investigated psychosocial correlates of abnormal adolescent eating behavior at three times during adolescence and young adulthood and its association with psychiatric diagnosis in young adulthood in a community sample. METHOD: Sixty-four (10.5%) high-risk subjects (mean age 15 years) with abnormal eating behavior were identified at Time 1, another 252 (16.9%) were identified at Time 2 (mean age 16.2 years), and 164 (16.9%) were identified at Time 3 (mean age 19.7 years) and compared with three control groups matched for age and gender. Dependent measures included emotional and behavioral problems, life events, coping capacities, self-related cognition, social network, and family functions. Outcome was measured additionally by structured psychiatric interviews, and stability of abnormal eating behavior was studied in a longitudinal sample of 330 subjects. RESULTS: Few subjects showed more than one of five criteria of abnormal eating behavior. High-risk subjects shared a very similar pattern at all three times. They were characterized by higher scores for emotional and behavioral problems, more life events including more negative impact, less active coping, lower self-esteem, and less family cohesion. Among 10 major psychiatric disorders, only clinical eating disorders at Time 3 shared a significant association with abnormal eating disorder at the same time whereas high-risk status at Times 1 and 2 did not predict any psychiatric disorder at Time 3. Stability of abnormal eating behavior across time was very low. Stability of abnormal eating behavior across time was very low. DISCUSSION: Abnormal eating behavior in adolescence and young adulthood is clearly associated with various indicators of psychosocial maladaption. In adolescence, it does not significantly predict any psychiatric disorder including eating disorder in young adulthood and it is predominantly a transient feature.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1996

Adolescent contraceptive behavior: the impact of the provider and the structure of clinic-based programs.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize general trends in research on the impact of provider variables on adolescent contraceptive behavior and to identify useful frameworks for designing clinic-based programs aimed at reducing unintended adolescent pregnancy. DATA SOURCES: A computerized search of Psychological Abstracts, Sociological Abstracts, and MEDLINE identified English-language articles from 1990 to 1995 on adolescent contraceptive behavior in the United States. All relevant citations within these articles also were examined. METHODS OF STUDY SELECTION: Studies were selected that focused on any aspect of provider characteristics as they relate to adolescent contraceptive behavior. TABULATION, INTEGRATION, AND RESULTS: Based on a conceptual integration of the articles, three general research issues on provider characteristics were identified; 1) the effectiveness of adolescent-based clinic programs and provider variables that discriminate successful versus unsuccessful programs, 2) the effects of parental notification policies on adolescent clinic use, and 3) whether the presence of clinics promotes sexual activity on the part of adolescents. Issues that must be considered in the structuring of provider-based programs include the strategic focus of the program, the target behaviors, the target population, and the structuring of educational materials. CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of adolescent-based clinic programs is mixed. Parental notification of adolescent use of a clinic can, in some cases, decrease the likelihood of clinic use. There is little convincing evidence that the presence of adolescent clinics promotes sexual activity.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use behaviors among adolescents in Erie County, New York.

This article provides estimates of the prevalence of tobacco, alcohol, and other drug use behaviors of ninth-grade students enrolled in public and parochial schools in Erie County, New York. A computer-scannable survey consisting of 50 questions was completed by 7,891 students in the fall of 1992. Survey findings show that tobacco and alcohol are the drugs used most often by ninth-grade students. Results also indicate that cigarette use is strongly associated with other drug use behaviors such as getting drunk, using marijuana, and other illegal drugs. A report detailing findings from the survey has been widely disseminated to school officials and community leaders throughout Erie County. Our experience in conducting this survey suggests that collecting information on the drug use behaviors of adolescents at the local level is both feasible and worthwhile.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Individual differences in executive attention predict self-regulation and adolescent psychosocial behaviors.

This study examined temperament, executive attention, parental monitoring and relationships, and involvement in pro- and antisocial behaviors in an ethnically diverse sample of adolescents. We sought to relate parent- and self-reported effortful control to performance on measures of executive attention and to better understand the relative contributions of individual-difference variables and environmental variables in predicting behaviors in adolescence. The results indicated a relationship between poor executive attention and mother-reported effortful control. Inclusion of individual-difference variables significantly increased prediction of problem-behavior scores, suggesting the importance of including such variables in studies of adolescent deviance.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2004

Familial study of suicidal behavior among adolescents in Slovenia.

The number of adolescents who attempt or complete suicide is increasing. Risk factors range from mental disorders, to problems at school, family problems, or difficulties in establishing relationships. A further important, and too often underestimated, risk factor for adolescent suicide is the presence of suicidal behavior in the adolescent's family. We investigated 184 high school adolescents in a region in Slovenia with a high suicide rate (30/100,000/year). They were questioned by means of an anonymous questionnaire about the presence of suicidal behavior in their relatives and about the presence of suicidal thoughts, plans, and acts in themselves. The results revealed that 13% of the adolescents studied had a relative who had attempted suicide and a further 9% of the adolescents had lost a relative due to suicide. About half of all females and almost a third of males had had suicidal thoughts (differences between sexes were statistically significant: chi2 = 6.13; p < .01). Attempted suicide among relatives was positively correlated with the presence of suicidal plans among adolescents (phi = 0.15; p < .05). This correlation proved to be even stronger and statistically more significant in men when we split the sample by gender. All variables (suicidal thoughts, suicidal plans, and suicide attempts) in the adolescent males positively correlated with attempted suicide among their relatives ((phi = 0.28, p < .01; phi) = 0.26, p < .05; phi = 0.34, p < .01; respectively). Our results speak in favor of a higher risk of suicidal behavior among adolescents with suicidal behavior in their families.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2000

Risk and protective factors influencing adolescent problem behavior: a multivariate latent growth curve analysis.

This study examined the dynamic relations between adolescent problem behaviors (alcohol, marijuana, deviance, academic failure) over time and predictors of these behaviors. Data from the National Youth Survey (1) included 1,044 adolescents (53.5% male; mean age at year 1 = 13.20). Dependent measures were adolescent alcohol use, marijuana use, deviance, and academic failure, assessed annually over 4 years. Independent measures included age, gender, marital status, income, family time, family support, time with friends, friend deviance, knowledge of friends, activities, and neighborhood problems. An associative latent growth modeling (LGM) analysis showed significant increases and relations between the four behaviors in both initial status and development. Second-order multivariate LGM analyses indicated that the four behaviors could be modeled by a higher-order problem behavior construct. Significant effects on the common problem behavior intercept or slope included time with friends, deviant friends, age, marital status, family time, and support. Additional effects were found to be specific to the initial status and slopes of individual problem behaviors. Overall, results indicate the importance of assessing the relations between adolescent problem behaviors as they change over time and identifying the risk and protective factors that have both common and individual influences on these behaviors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Comparison of selected health risk behaviors between adolescents in public and private high schools in South Carolina.

This study examined differences in selected health risk behaviors among 5,517 students attending public high schools (PUBHS) and 1,089 students attending private high schools (PVTHS) in South Carolina. The 1995 CDC Youth Risk Behavior Survey was used to collect self-report information on adolescent risk behaviors. Chi-square analyses were performed for comparing public and private students on selected risk behaviors. Both PUBHS and PVTHS students reported substantial involvement in most of the risk-taking behaviors examined. PUBHS students, in general, were more likely to report higher prevalence rates than PVTHS students for most of the selected health risk behaviors. However, PVTHS students reported even higher prevalence rates than PUBHS students for alcohol use, driving after drinking, and binge drinking; smoking cigarettes (past 30 days); chewing tobacco (males only); marijuana use during the past 30 days (females only); and use of alcohol or other drugs before last act of sexual intercourse. Results suggest attendance at a private high school is not a panacea for protection against adolescent risk behaviors, and that all high school students could benefit from a coordinated school health program.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1993

Transition-marking behaviors of adolescent males at first intercourse.

This study examined male transition-marking behaviors from adolescence into adulthood at the time of first intercourse. These include alcohol and drug use and sexual intercourse, and the companion behaviors of contraceptive use and planning of intercourse. The major findings were similar to those the authors described in a previous study as typifying female adolescents. Alcohol use at first intercourse was unrelated to use of contraceptives at that time, but was inversely related to whether the first intercourse was planned (i.e., those who did not drink were much more likely to plan). Planning was also positively related to contraceptive use, but the relationship was less strong than for female cohorts.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parent-child communication and adolescent sexual behavior.

Data collected over a two-year period from more than 500 teenagers and their mothers indicate that neither parental attitudes toward premarital sex nor parent-child communication about sex and contraception appear to affect teenagers' subsequent sexual and contraceptive behavior. Teenagers are often ignorant of their parents' attitudes toward sex-related issues, and they and their parents often contradict one another in describing the kinds of sex-related conversations they have had. In only two cases was a significant relationship found between communication and adolescent behavior: Girls whose mothers reported that they had discussed sex with their daughters were less likely to subsequently initiate coitus; and girls who reported that their mothers had discussed birth control with them were more likely to use effective contraceptives. However, the former association disappeared when it was the daughters who reported the communication, and the latter disappeared when it was the mothers who reported it.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Health-related behavior of adolescents: change over time.

A longitudinal study of the changes in health-related behavior in Israeli adolescents was undertaken in a large, comprehensive secondary school. The incidence of starting to smoke and its relationship to the development of sexual behavior was assessed. Smoking, use of drugs, sexual behavior, and drinking of alcoholic beverages at the age of 16 years was related to dropout from secondary school during the 2-year study period. The possibility of developing a model of adolescent risk behavior and its relevance to planning of health and educational services is discussed.

Adolescent↗