Suicide Contagion in Canadian youth Ian Colman, PhD Assistant - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Suicide Contagion in Canadian youth Ian Colman, PhD Assistant Professor University of Ottawa icolman@uottawa.ca

Suicide Clustering Multiple suicides in time and space

Suicide Clustering Multiple suicides in time and space Accounts for up to 13% of teen suicides in the US

Suicide Clustering Multiple suicides in time and space Accounts for up to 13% of teen suicides in the US More common among teens than in other age groups

Suicide Clustering Suicide Contagion theory Personal connection Media / group communication

National Longitudinal Survey of Children and Youth • Statistics Canada Survey • Followed groups of children over time • Collected data every two years starting in 1994/ 95 • Our study included children aged 1 2 -1 7 years – more than 8 ,0 0 0 adolescents involved between 1998 & 2007

Exposure to Suicide • Has anyone in your school committed suicide?

Exposure to Suicide • Has anyone in your school committed suicide? • Has anyone that you have personally know n committed suicide?

Has anyone in your school committed suicide?

Age 12/13

Age 14/15

Age 16/17

Has anyone you have know n personally committed suicide?

Age 12/13

Age 14/15

Age 16/17

Suicidal outcomes In the past 12 months…

Suicidal outcomes In the past 12 months… • did you seriously consider attempting suicide?

Suicidal outcomes In the past 12 months… • did you seriously consider attempting suicide? • did you attem pt suicide?

In the last 12 months did you…

Seriously consider committing suicide? Age 12/ 13

Seriously consider committing suicide? Age 14/ 15

Seriously consider committing suicide? Age 16/ 17

In the last 12 months did you…

Attem pt suicide? Age 12/ 13

Attem pt suicide? Age 14/ 15

Attem pt suicide? Age 16/ 17

Results Exposure to suicide Suicidal outcomes measured at the same time

Exposure to School Suicide Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to School Suicide 6.5 x more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to School Suicide 6.5 x more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to School Suicide 6.5 x more 1.8 x likely more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to School Suicide 6 x more 3.5 x likely more 3.3 x likely more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to Personal Suicide 4 x more 2.8 x likely more 1.8 x likely more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to Personal Suicide 3.5 x more likely 3 x more 3 x likely more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Results - Long term effects Exposure to suicide Suicidal outcomes two years later

Exposure to School Suicide Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to School Suicide Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to School Suicide 2.5 x more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to Personal Suicide Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Exposure to Personal Suicide 2 x more likely Swanson & Colman. CMAJ 2013; 185:870-7.

Results Personally know ing the victim was not more strongly associated with suicidality compared to schoolmates who didn’t know the deceased

Results Other stressful life events affect how kids cope The odds of suicidal ideation after school suicide was greater among those who had experienced a prior m ajor stressful life event

Results Previously reported low social support, depression, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempts did not m odify the effects

Is this just a Canadian phenomenon? Preliminary results from a study of American teens show that those who reported a friend had attempted suicide were 1 .6 tim es m ore likely to attempt suicide in the following tw o years

What does this mean? • Exposure to suicide is very common among adolescents. • Suicide contagion appears to affect adolescents of all ages, especially the younger ones • Effects may linger longer than previously anticipated • Postvention strategies targeting high-risk youth may be missing those equally affected