Purpose
Investigation of the association between type of suicidal behavior and type and frequency of illegal use of substances (IUS) among school students (aged between 12 and 18 years), with a focus on gender differences.
Design and Methods
A systematic review in PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, and Scopus was performed. Identified articles were published between 2007 and 2018.
Results
Twenty empirical studies confirmed the association between IUS and suicidality, strongly differentiated between males and females, highlighting the importance of gender‐specific mediating factors.
Conclusions
Mental health nurses need to document gender factors, frequency, and motivation of IUS when screening adolescents experiencing suicidal behavior and IUS.