Increasing self-reported suicide attempts by adolescents in Greece between 1984 and 2007.
OBJECTIVE
This study examines trends in self-reported suicide attempts by Greek adolescents.


METHODS
Data were obtained from five nationwide school probability surveys, each of approximately 8,000-10,000 adolescents aged 14-18 years, carried out from 1984 to 2007. Students answered an anonymous questionnaire in their classrooms supervised by research assistants. Logistic regression analysis used as dependent variable any self-reported suicide attempts and as independent variables basic sociodemographic information and the year of the survey.


RESULTS
Self-reported suicide attempts doubled in prevalence from 7.0% in 1984 to 13.4% in 2007. Female gender (odds ratio OR 2.49, 95% confidence interval CI 2.30-2.71), living in a single parent family (OR 1.91, CI 1.73-2.11), lower paternal education (OR 1.20, CI 1.10-1.31) and living in a major city (OR 1.17, CI 1.08-1.27 for Greater Athens and OR 1.13, CI 1.00-1.28 for Thessaloniki) were significantly associated with suicide attempts. A larger increase among males, from 2.4 to 8.4%, compared to females (11.5 to 17.9%) contributed to a decrease in gender differences.


CONCLUSIONS
Changes in Greek society during the last 30 years, including loosening of family ties, increased drug use and stress because of the demands of school work, are hypothesised to have had an impact on the increasing trend in suicide attempts among adolescents.
Department of Psychiatry, Athens University Medical School, Athens, Greece. akokkevi@med.uoa.gr
Anna
A
Kokkevi
Vasiliki
V
Rotsika
Angeliki
A
Arapaki
Clive
C
Richardson
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D012494:Sampling Studies; D057566:Self Report; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires