title: Adolescent suicide: characterizing the need and identifying the predictive factors for preventive consultation or hospitalization in a rural community setting.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Studies from India consistently document the highest suicide rates in the world, and the majority of completed suicides had been within adolescents.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To characterize the need and identify the predictive factors for preventive consultation or hospitalization for adolescent suicide in a community setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively collected data from 500 adolescents in a rural South Indian community with independent, trained raters.
  
  
  METHODS
  The need for suicide prevention was measured with the SAD PERSONS scale, socio-economic status with the Modified Kuppusamy Scale, depression and anxiety disorders with the Beck Depression Inventory and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, respectively. The relationship between predictors and the need for preventive action was analyzed with univariate and multivariate regression analyses and a predictive model was built.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of those investigated, 2% and 0.6% required emergency consultation and hospitalization, respectively. Males needed more preventive action (p=0.04). Age (OR=3.40, p=0.07), gender (OR=3.13, p=0.05), presence of anxiety (OR=16.35, p=0.001), or depressive (OR=42.59, p=0.001) disorder independently predicted a need for protective action and, together, contributed to a parsimonious predictive model.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of adolescents in the community do not require preventive steps to address suicide risk. These predictors could identify the high-risk adolescents for suicide prevention and reduce the burden of care in the community.
authors: Child Development Center, Thiruvananthapuram Medical College, Kerala, India.
authors: Muttathu K C
authors: MK
authors: Nair
authors: Paul S S
authors: PS
authors: Russell
authors: Satya R
authors: SR
authors: Shankar
authors: Vinod S
authors: VS
authors: Subramaniam
authors: Suma
authors: S
authors: Nazeema
authors: Priya
authors: P
authors: Mammen
authors: Neethu
authors: N
authors: Chembagam
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D020380:Needs Assessment; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012424:Rural Population; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult; D000092864:Suicide Prevention