Profiles of Suicidality and Clusters of Hungarian Adolescent Outpatients Suffering from Suicidal Behaviour

Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to reveal the background dimensions of suicidal behaviour (SB) and to identify clusters of Hungarian adolescent outpatients suffering from suicidality by means of the following correlates of SB: depression, inadequate conflict-solving methods, dysfunctional attitudes, maladaptive coping, help-seeking strategies and negative life events. Sampling and Methods: A self-report test battery was completed by every consecutive new adolescent outpatient from a representative patient pool of 5 local child psychiatric centres in Western Hungary over an 18-month period (n = 644). The questionnaires used were the pilot version of the Columbia Depression Scale, the Hungarian standard versions of the Beck Depression Inventory, the Ways of Coping Questionnaire, the Dysfunctional Attitude Scale and the Junior High Life Experiences Survey. A total of 110 adolescent outpatients (88 females, 22 males, mean age = 16.21 years, SD = 1.38) suffering from SB were included in the study. All diagnoses including SB were confirmed by the MINI Plus Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview. K means clustering was used to compare variances of 19 variables to decide which ones are the major criteria for assigning subjects to clusters, and principal component analysis was utilized to identify background SB dimensions in the patient sample. Results: The cluster analysis identified 3 homogenous clusters differentiating suicidal adolescents characteristically: ‘stress-laden/medium depressive’, ‘low depressive/low achievement’ and ‘high depressive’ cluster groups. While cluster analysis confirmed the role of the severity of depression only, principal component analysis explored the following 4 underlying profiles of SB: stress-laden, dysfunctional, maladaptive and depressive/risky factors. Conclusions: Although important coping qualities failed to register as major criteria in the development of separate groups of suicidal adolescent outpatients, distinct background profiles of SB among Hungarian adolescents were found covering the risk groups according to clinical experience. Future research is warranted to identify possible variation in the coping strategies among different adolescent suicidal samples.

Negative life events and internalizing problems among Romanian youth

“…As for the intensity of NLEs, Nisikawa et al (2018) conclude that timing and intensity are associated with current symptoms of depression. Contrary to Dinya et al (2009) study on child psychiatric centers in Hungary concluding that adolescents who experienced a high number of negative life events and who were more heavily impacted by negative life events had the most maladaptive and risky ways of coping, our results shows that only low and moderate intensity events are associated to heighten anxiety displaying. But this conflicting result is explained by the nature of our measurement of intensity that we addressed in the Limits section.…”

“…Overall, our results show that exposure to NLEs are important to consider when discussing and understanding the occurrence of mental health problems among Romanian adolescents, thus contributing to the existing literature. Regarding the association between NLEs and internalizing problems and in line with other studies (Grant et al, 2004, 2014; Raknes et al, 2017b), our results showed that those adolescents who reported experiencing specific negative events also reported more depressive and anxiety symptoms, thus, supporting the claim that the occurrence of adversities is a risk factor for negative mental health outcomes Braboy Jackson & Finney, 2002; Dinya et al, 2009; Dovran et al, 2019; Măirean and Diaconu–Gherasim, 2018). Proximity of NLEs had a little effect on reported depression, but it had a greater impact on anxiety.…”

Negative Life Events and Time Perspective Among Adolescents

“…and Cohen (1985a) reported that the most com mon negative life event was an increase in arguing with parents (34%), followed by breaking up with a boyfriend/girlfriend (33%), and breaking up with a close friend (20%). Since then, the JHLES has been used in many studies with adolescents and children (Brown & Fite, 2016;Dinya et al, 2009;Ge et al, 2006;King et al, 2017;Lasgaard et al, 2016;Swearingen & Cohen, 1985b).…”

Suicide Typologies in the United States Air Force: A Hierarchical Cluster Analysis

“…Systematic reviews of empirical studies regarding typologies of suicide and suicidal behaviors have been conducted (Arensman & Kerkhof, ; Wolodzko & Kokoszka, ). Included in these reviews are several studies utilizing cluster analyses as a statistical method to describe data collected via psychological autopsy (O'Connor et al., ), personality inventories (Ellis, Rudd, Rajab, & Wehrly, ; Engstrom, Alling, Gustavsson, Oreland, & Traskman‐Bendz, ; Rudd, Ellis, Rajab, & Wehrly, ), clinical inventories (Chen et al., ; Dinya et al., ; Lopez‐Castroman, Nogue, Guillaume, Picot, & Courtet, ; Rapeli & Botega, ; Steer, Beck, Brown, & Beck, ), or general population surveys (Flannery, Sneed, & Marsh, ). However, many of the studies included in these reviews are restricted to characteristics of suicide attempts, and the results have questionable generalizability to those who actually die by suicide.…”

“…Despite established risk and protective factors, there is much diversity in how and why people die by suicide (Bardon, Cote, & Mishara, 2016;Barzilay & Apter, 2014;Chen et al, 2007;Henderson & Williams, 1974;Logan, Hall, & Karch, 2011;O'Connor, Sheehy, & O'Connor, 1999;Sinyor, Schaffer, & Streiner, 2014;Wold, 1971). In suicide research, typologies, or distinct and stable groups, have been proposed to classify cases based on societal (Durkheim, 1951), psychological (Baechler, 1979;Menninger, 1938;O'Connor et al, 2012), and relational factors (Leonard, 1967), and on the basis of human needs or motives (Mintz, 1968;Shneidman, 1968Shneidman, , 1980. Certain core themes emerge repeatedly within the literature, including escape, aggression, intra-psychic pain, and relational concerns.…”