Child and young adolescent suicide in New Zealand
Child and young adolescent suicide in New Zealand
复制标题
DOI：
10.1046/j.1440-1614.2001.00944.x
复制
发表时间：
2001-10-01
影响因子：
4.6
通讯作者：
Beautrais, AL
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Beautrais, AL
目的：描述10年来新西兰15岁以下青少年自杀死亡的流行病学和特征。方法：对1989年至1998年在新西兰自杀的61例15岁以下儿童和青少年进行了10年的回顾性研究。结果：15岁以下青少年的自杀率非常低，但呈上升趋势。自杀风险随着年龄的增长而增加：大多数死亡的人年龄在14岁（占总数的57.4%）或13岁（26.2%）。男孩（72.1%）和毛利人（57.4%）占多数。大多数自杀发生在没有完整亲生家庭的儿童中（67.2%）。悬挂法为主要方法（78.7%）。三分之一的孩子留下了遗书。四分之一的人曾与社会福利机构有过接触。10%的病例有自杀家族史。少数人有自杀企图史（13.1%）或有精神健康问题（23%）。据报告，四分之一（23%）的人在死亡前一年内曾发出自杀威胁。大多数死亡似乎是由相对较小的家庭争吵或纪律事件造成的，然而，这些事件发生在家庭生活安排或学校环境实际或预期的中断或转变，或严重的家庭问题的情况下。结论：总的来说，青少年自杀给人的印象是一个在极端困难的环境中成长的弱势、脆弱和痛苦的青少年群体。毛利儿童在这一群体中占主导地位。显然，有必要对自杀儿童的家庭和社会环境进行深入调查，以核实这些印象。这样的调查最好通过年度死亡率审查和对所有青少年自杀事件的监测来进行。
Objective: To describe the epidemiology and characteristics of all suicide deaths among under 15-year-olds in New Zealand over a 10-year period.Method: In a 10-year retrospective study the features of all 61 children and young adolescents aged less than 15 years who died by suicide in New Zealand from 1989 to 1998 were examined by review of coronial files.Results: Suicide among under 15-year-olds is very rare but increasing. Suicide risk increases with age: the majority of those who die are aged 14 years (57.4% of the total) or 13 years (26.2%). Boys (72.1%) and Maori (57.4%) predominate. Most suicides occurred in children not living in intact biological families (67.2%). Hanging was the predominant method (78.7%). One in three children left suicide notes. One in four had a history of contact with social welfare authorities. There was a family history of suicide in 10% of cases. A minority had a documented history of prior suicide attempts (13.1%) or mental health problems (23%). One in four (23%) was reported to have made threats of suicide within the year prior to their death. A majority of deaths appeared to have been precipitated by relatively minor family arguments or disciplinary events, which, however, occurred in the context of actual or anticipated disruptions or transitions in family living arrangements or school circumstances, or severe family problems.Conclusions: In general, the impression of young adolescent suicide was of a disadvantaged, vulnerable and distressed group of adolescents growing up in extremely difficult circumstances. Maori children predominate in this group. There is clearly a need to verify these impressions with an in-depth investigation of the familial and social circumstances of children who die by suicide. Such investigations might best be conducted by annual mortality review and monitoring of all young adolescent suicides.