Sexual behavior and suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12-15 years from 38 countries: A global perspective

Smith, Lee, Jackson, Sarah E., Vancampfort, Davy, Jacob, Louis, Firth, Joseph, Grabovac, Igor, McDermott, Daragh T., Yang, Lin, López-Sánchez, Guillermo F., Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas, Veronese, Nicola and Koyanagi, Ai (2020) Sexual behavior and suicide attempts among adolescents aged 12-15 years from 38 countries: A global perspective. Psychiatry Research, 287. p. 112564. ISSN 1872-7123

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Abstract

Background : The aim was to investigate the relationship between sexual behaviors and suicide attempts by using data from 38 countries from four World Health Organization regions. Methods: Cross-sectional data from 116,820 adolescents aged 12-15 years participating in the Global School-based Student Health Survey 2009-2016 were analyzed. Data on sexual behaviors were collected: (i) ever having had intercourse; among those who reported having had intercourse, (ii) multiple (≥2) lifetime sexual partners and (iii) condom use in last sexual intercourse and past 12-month suicide attempts were self-reported. Associations were analyzed using multivariable logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of sexual intercourse and suicide attempts were 13.2% and 9.1%, respectively. A positive association between sexual intercourse and suicide attempts was found in 32 of the 38 countries (pooled OR for whole sample 2.12 [95% CI 1.98-2.27]). Having had multiple sexual partners was associated with increased odds of suicide attempts (pooled OR for whole sample 1.58 [1.27-1.96]). Condom non-use was only associated with suicide attempts among boys in the Americas (OR: 1.75 [1.25-2.45]). Conclusion: Engaging in sexual intercourse was associated with increased risk of suicide attempt. Moreover, having had multiple sexual partners may also increase the risk of suicide attempts.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Keywords:	Sexual Behaviour, Suicide, Adolescents, Global
Faculty:	Faculty of Science & Engineering
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic User
Depositing User:	Symplectic User
Date Deposited:	09 Sep 2019 08:21
Last Modified:	25 Jan 2022 09:49
URI:	https://arro.anglia.ac.uk/id/eprint/704714

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