title: Completed suicides in a youth centres population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  From 1995 to 2000, 422 youths, aged 18 years and under, died as a result of suicide in Quebec. More than one-third had received services from youth centres (YCs) at some point. This study sought to characterize a sample of those youths to improve services for this at-risk population.
  
  
  METHODS
  From a retrospective study of YCs and coroner's office files, we investigated the clinical features of youths who had received YC services and died by suicide. We compared them with YC patients matched for age, sex, and geographic area who had reported suicidal behaviour or who had no such symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among those who committed suicide, we found a ratio of 3.8 boys for 1 girl, with a mean age of 16.8 years. Hanging, used by 73.6%, was the most frequent means; 53.6% had a previous suicide attempt. The group that committed suicide had more indicators of major depression, substance abuse, and disruptive behaviours, as well as more adverse events.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Interventions should focus on screening for mental disorders and suicidal behaviours on the initial contact with YC services. This screening should be implemented through a medical multidisciplinary team that includes psychoeducational services.
authors.affiliation: Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec. johanne_renaud@SSSS.gouv.qc.ca
authors.forename: Johanne
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Renaud
authors.forename: François
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chagnon
authors.forename: Gustavo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Turecki
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marquette
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016497:Adolescent Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D019958:Attention Deficit and Disruptive Behavior Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D003865:Major Depressive Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009864:Ontario / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012309:Risk-Taking; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*