Abstract
The objective of the study is to evaluate temporal trends, gender effects and methods of completed suicide amongst children
and adolescent (aged 10–17) when compared with temporal trends of deaths from other causes. Data were extracted from the Italian
Mortality Database, which is collected by the Italian National Census Bureau (ISTAT) and processed by the Statistics Unit
of National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion (CNESPS) at the National Institute of Health (Istituto
Superiore di Sanità). A total of 1,871 children and adolescents, age 10–17 years, committed suicide in Italy from 1971 to
2003 and 109 died by suicide during the last 3-year period of observation (2006–2008). The average suicide rate over the entire
period of observation was 0.91 per 100,000; the rate was 1.21 for males and 0.59 for females. During the study period, the
general mortality of children and adolescents, age 10–17 years, decreased dramatically, the average annual percentage change
decrease was of −3.3% (95% CI −4.4 to −1.9) for males and −2.9% (95% IC −4.4 to −2.5) for females. The decrease was observed,
for both genders, for all causes of deaths except suicide. For males, the most frequent method was hanging (54.5%), followed
by shooting/fire arms (19.6%), falls/jumping from high places (12.7%); for females, the most frequent method, jumping from
high places/falls, accounted for 35.7% of suicides during the whole study period. In conclusion, this study highlights that
over the course of several decades suicide is a far less preventable cause of death as compared to other causes of death amongst
children and adolescents. Our study demonstrated that suicide rates in adolescents are not a stable phenomenon over the 40 years
period of study. It suggested that rates for males and females differed and varied in different ways during specific time
periods of this study. National suicide prevention actions should parallel prevention measures implemented to reduce other
causes of death.
and adolescent (aged 10–17) when compared with temporal trends of deaths from other causes. Data were extracted from the Italian
Mortality Database, which is collected by the Italian National Census Bureau (ISTAT) and processed by the Statistics Unit
of National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion (CNESPS) at the National Institute of Health (Istituto
Superiore di Sanità). A total of 1,871 children and adolescents, age 10–17 years, committed suicide in Italy from 1971 to
2003 and 109 died by suicide during the last 3-year period of observation (2006–2008). The average suicide rate over the entire
period of observation was 0.91 per 100,000; the rate was 1.21 for males and 0.59 for females. During the study period, the
general mortality of children and adolescents, age 10–17 years, decreased dramatically, the average annual percentage change
decrease was of −3.3% (95% CI −4.4 to −1.9) for males and −2.9% (95% IC −4.4 to −2.5) for females. The decrease was observed,
for both genders, for all causes of deaths except suicide. For males, the most frequent method was hanging (54.5%), followed
by shooting/fire arms (19.6%), falls/jumping from high places (12.7%); for females, the most frequent method, jumping from
high places/falls, accounted for 35.7% of suicides during the whole study period. In conclusion, this study highlights that
over the course of several decades suicide is a far less preventable cause of death as compared to other causes of death amongst
children and adolescents. Our study demonstrated that suicide rates in adolescents are not a stable phenomenon over the 40 years
period of study. It suggested that rates for males and females differed and varied in different ways during specific time
periods of this study. National suicide prevention actions should parallel prevention measures implemented to reduce other
causes of death.
- Content Type Journal Article
- Category Original Contribution
- Pages 1-11
- DOI 10.1007/s00787-011-0238-5
- Authors
- Maurizio Pompili, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Monica Vichi, National Centre for Epidemiology, Surveillance and Health Promotion (CNESPS), National Institute of Health (ISS), Via Giano della Bella 34, 00161 Rome, Italy
- Diego De Leo, Australian Institute for Suicide Research and Prevention, WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- Cynthia Pfeffer, Department of Psychiatry, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, White Plains, 10605 USA
- Paolo Girardi, Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Functions, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant’Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
- Journal European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
- Online ISSN 1435-165X
- Print ISSN 1018-8827