ABSTRACT
Introduction
We investigated predictors of suicide among Add Health longitudinal survey participants with over 20,000 high school students using National Death Index (NDI) mortality records, exploring behavioral, attitudinal, and demographic correlates of suicide risk.
Method
We investigated early correlating suicide risk factors when students were in high school and whether they died by suicide during the next 28 years. We used multiple linear regression to distill the most essential correlates of suicide risk for male (n = 58) and female (n = 14) suicide decedents.
Results
Findings indicated suicide rates four times higher for males than for females, with males dying at younger ages on average than females. Many risk factors established from previous research were found to be associated with suicide risk. Regression analysis showed only two factors associated with a male’s suicide risk: experiencing a friend’s death by suicide and running away from home. For females, being expelled from school and having a conflicted relationship with one’s father were the most significant correlates.
Conclusion
This follow-up provides insights into how risk factors evolve over time, highlighting the importance of early-life psychosocial challenges and gender-specific dynamics in creating suicide risks. Findings underscore the need for differentially targeted interventions to mitigate suicide risk across the lifespan.
