ABSTRACT

Objectives:

Suicide attempts in children and adolescents are health problems all over the world. Substance use disorder is a frequent psychiatric comorbidity related to suicide attempts. Our aim in this study is to determine the sociodemographic differences between those with and without suicide attempts in children and adolescents with substance use.

Materials and Methods:

Within the scope of this study, archive files of children and adolescents who applied, which is the Ege University Child and Adolescent Addiction Center to (EGEBAM), were examined retrospectively. Variables such as suicide attempt, age of starting smoking or substance abuse, family history, previous treatment history, street life history, and forensic problems were evaluated.

Results:

8% of 371 cases who had applied to the EGEBAM outpatient clinic, had a history of suicide attempt. The variables that were statistically significantly related to the suicide attempt were as follows: Female gender, the presence of a previous treatment history, the presence of a substance abuse in the family, and the presence of a street life history (p<0.001). Regardless of the suicidal attempt, there was about 2 years between the age of starting smoking and substance abuse.

Conclusion:

Determination of risk factors associated with suicide is important for early interventions. In particular, a more detailed assessment may allow this risk to be reduced, as the cases with female gender, past treatment history, substance use in the family, and a history of living on the street at some point in life are more risky in terms of suicide. However, more studies are needed in child and adolescent psychiatry that investigates the relationship and course of substance use and suicide, which require urgent intervention.