Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents: A Latent Class Analysis

Abstract

The main goal of the present study was to identify and validate latent classes of suicidal behavior in a representative sample of adolescents. The sample comprised a total of 1506 students, including 667 males (44.3%), selected through a sample stratified by clusters. The mean age was 16.15 years (SD = 1.36). The instruments used evaluated suicidal behavior, positive and negative affect, emotional and behavioral problems, prosocial behavior, and subjective well-being. Using the Paykel Suicide Scale, the latent class analysis identified four homogeneous subgroups: “low risk”, “suicidal act”, “suicidal ideation”, and “high risk for suicide”. These subgroups presented a differential pattern in terms of their social-emotional adjustment. The subgroups with the highest theoretical risk showed lower scores on subjective well-being and positive affect as well as higher scores on emotional and behavioral problems and negative affect compared to the non-risk subgroups. This study contributes to an understanding of the typologies of suicidal behavior among adolescents and the relationship with psychopathological adjustment. Ultimately, these findings may promote the development or improvement of early detection and prevention strategies in the suicidal behavior field in order to reduce the socio-economic burdens associated with suicide in young populations.

Trajectory Analysis of Suicidal Ideation in Spanish College Students Using Ecological Momentary Assessment

“…Furthermore, Lockman and Servaty-Seib ( 79 ) showed support for these variables as proximal mental states associated with SI in university students, although they highlighted that perceived burdensomeness was the strongest proximal interpersonal risk factor predicting SI. In fact, Díez-Gómez et al ( 80 ) found four distinct groups related to suicide risk in their latent class analysis: “low risk-healthy,” “suicidal act,” “suicidal ideation,” and “high suicide risk” in a sample of 1,506 adolescent students. Results showed that the group of participants with high theoretical suicide risk showed lower scores on positive affect and higher levels of behavioral and emotional problems.…”

Psychosocial Correlates of Suicidal Behavior among Adolescents under Confinement Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic in Aguascalientes, Mexico: A Cross-Sectional Population Survey

“…Our conceptualization of suicidal behaviors as a categorical construct recognizes qualitative differences between self-injury, low-lethality suicidal behaviors, and high-lethality suicidal behaviors and is supported by prior research that identified four latent classes when analyzing suicidal behavior and associated psychosocial factors among adolescents in Campeche, Mexico [ 27 , 28 , 29 ]. A recent study also used a latent class approach and, although different populations and instruments were used, a four-class solution was identified as well [ 30 ]. Our research strategy was to compare youth with no suicidal behaviors to those with different levels of behaviors.…”

Predictors of Suicide Re-Attempt in a Spanish Adolescent Population after 12 Months’ Follow-Up

“…Several diagnoses have been associated with suicidal behavior, and depressive symptoms are among the most common. However, anxiety, affective disorders, disruptive behavior, and substance disorders were also important variables for suicide behaviors in adolescents [30]. Concerning predisposing factors among mental health disorders, the only ones that showed significant differences between those who re-attempted and those who did not were personality disorders and maladaptive personality traits.…”