[Differential characteristics of families of adolescents and young adults that have attempted suicide].

Abstract

Introduction: Families of adolescent and young adult suicide attempters are studied to analyze their role in these extremely dangerous behaviors.

Method: 72 adolescents and young adults (aged 15-24) who have made a suicide attempt and 72 normal controls matched by sex, age and marital status, are studied in a case-control design. Several aspects of each family are explored: composition, degree of stability in parental couple, type of relationships among the members, labor status of parents and medical-psychiatric and legal family history.

Results and conclusions: Only parameters analyzing parents-offspring interactions can differentiate both groups. Keep an unsatisfactory relation with any of the living parents are the family factors which place the young or adolescent subject in risk of making a suicide attempt in our surrounding.