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Psychotic boys performing well in school are at increased risk of suicidal ideation
Author(s) -
Tikkanen Vesa,
Alaräisänen Antti,
Hakko Helinä,
Räsänen Pirkko,
Riala Kaisa
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
psychiatry and clinical neurosciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.609
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1440-1819
pISSN - 1323-1316
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1819.2008.01887.x
Subject(s) - suicidal ideation , schedule for affective disorders and schizophrenia , psychiatry , schizophrenia (object oriented programming) , psychology , clinical psychology , poison control , suicide prevention , injury prevention , medicine , suicide attempt , medical emergency , anxiety
Aim: This study investigated how the level of school performance is associated with suicidal behavior and psychiatric disorders among adolescent psychiatric inpatients aged 12–17 years. Methods: Data were collected from 508 adolescents (300 girls, 208 boys; age 12–17 years) admitted to inpatient psychiatric hospitalization between April 2001 and March 2006. Information on the adolescents' school performance, suicidal ideation, suicide attempts and self‐mutilation as well as psychiatric DSM‐IV diagnoses was obtained using the Schedule for Affective Disorder and Schizophrenia for School‐Age Children. Results: An elevated risk of suicidal ideation (OR = 3.6, 95% CI 1.3–10.2, P = 0.017) and of psychotic disorders (OR = 3.2, 95% CI 1.0–10.0, P = 0.048) was observed among male adolescents performing well in school. In addition, adolescents with poor school performance had an increased likelihood of substance‐related disorder both in boys (OR = 2.6, 95% CI 1.1–6.1, P = 0.027) and girls (OR = 2.5, 95% CI 1.2–5.1, P = 0.011). Conclusions: Our findings indicate that psychotic inpatient male adolescents performing well in school are at an elevated risk of suicidal ideation. Although good school performance is often considered a marker of high intelligence and good general ability, symptoms of major psychiatric disorders and suicidality need to be taken very seriously among adolescents performing well in school.