title: [Suicide attempts among Chilean adolescents].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Suicide mortality rates are increasing among teenagers.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the prevalence and predictive factors of suicide attempts among Chilean adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  A random sample of 195 teenagers aged 16 ± 1 years (53% males) answered an anonymous survey about their demographic features, substance abuse, the Osaka suicidal ideation questionnaire, Smilksten familial Apgar. Beck hopelessness scale, Beck depression scale and Coppersmith self-esteem inventory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty five percent of respondents had attempted suicide at least in one occasion during their lives. These attempts were significantly associated with female gender, absent parents, family dysfunction, drug abuse, smoking, low self-esteem, hopelessness, depression and recent suicidal ideation. A logistic regression analysis accepted female gender, smoking and recent suicidal ideation as significant independent predictors of suicide attempt.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Suicide attempted is common among teenagers and its predictors are female sex, smoking and previous suicidal ideation.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valdivia
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sanhueza
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cova
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Melipillán
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D015995:Prevalence; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012307:Risk Factors; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D035862:Vulnerable Populations / Q000523:psychology; D055815:Young Adult