Suicide reattempts in adolescents and young adults after a first suicide attempt. Results from the SURAYA prospective cohort study

Abstract

Introduction

Suicide is a particularly major public health concern among young people as it is the fourth cause of death in youth aged 15–29. Despite various prevention strategies and efforts, the rate of suicide attempts among youth has increased over time and has risen even further since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives

The aim of this study was to ascertain the prevalence of suicide reattempts within 3 months in a cohort of young first-time suicide attempters aged 16 to 25 years. Exploratory objectives were to investigate potential risk factors associated with reattempts in this population.

Methods

We conducted a prospective, naturalistic, single-center cohort study including 182 patients hospitalized in emergency psychiatry for a first suicide attempt. Data on 31 sociodemographic, clinical and biological factors known to be associated with suicide were collected at baseline.

Results

Out of the 182 patients included, 146 participants remained for the 3-months follow-up analysis (mean age: 19.71 ± 2.5 years, 71.9% female). Twenty of them reattempted suicide: yielding a prevalence of 13.7% (14.3% of females and 12.2% of males). Only four clinical and biological factors under study were significantly associated with suicide reattempt.

Conclusion

Our findings underscore the critical need for targeted prevention strategies for adolescents and young adults, as they represent a high-risk group for early suicide reattempts. Further research into the factors associated with recurrent suicide attempts is essential to more accurately characterize the profiles of young individuals who reattempt suicide, thereby informing the development of effective preventive interventions and avoiding negative outcomes.