title: Risk factors for suicidal thoughts in adolescence--a prospective cohort study: the Young-HUNT study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Examining the associations between health and lifestyle factors recorded in the participants' early teens and development of suicidal thoughts recorded 4 years later.
  
  
  METHODS
  Population-based prospective cohort study.
  
  
  METHODS
  All students in the two relevant year classes in Nord-Trøndelag County were invited, 80% attended both waves of data collection.
  
  
  METHODS
  2399 secondary school students who participated in the Young-HUNT1 study in 1995-1997 (13-15 years old) were included in a follow-up study 4 years later (17-19 years old).
  
  
  METHODS
  Suicidal thoughts reported at age 17-19 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  408 (17%, 95% CI 15.5% to 18.5%) of the adolescents reported suicidal thoughts at follow-up, 158 (14.2%, CI 13.6% to 16.4%) boys and 250 (19.5%, CI 18.8% to 22.0%) girls. Baseline anxiety and depressive symptoms (adjusted OR (aOR) 1.9, CI 1.4 to 2.6), conduct problems (aOR 1.8, CI 1.3 to 2.6), overweight (aOR 1.9 CI 1.4 to 2.4), and muscular pain and tension (aOR 1.8, CI 1.4 to 2.4), were all associated with reporting suicidal thoughts at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  One in six young adults experienced suicidal thoughts, girls predominating. Suicidal thoughts were most strongly associated with symptoms of anxiety/depression, conduct problems, pain/tension and overweight reported when participants were 13-15 years old. Specific preventive efforts in these groups might be indicated. Future research should investigate whether similar associations are seen with suicide/suicidal attempts as endpoints.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine (ISM), HUNT Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Arve
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Strandheim
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Nord-Trøndelag University College (HiNT), Levanger, Norway Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
authors.forename: Ottar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bjerkeset
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gunnell
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health Sciences, Nord-Trøndelag University College (HiNT), Levanger, Norway Department of Psychiatry, Levanger Hospital, Nord-Trøndelag Health Trust, Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bjørnelv
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine (ISM), HUNT Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Turid Lingaas
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Holmen
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and General Practice, Faculty of Medicine (ISM), HUNT Research Centre, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Levanger, Norway.
authors.forename: Niels
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bentzen
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000150:complications; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000150:complications; D059352:Musculoskeletal Pain / Q000150:complications; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Preventive Medicine