TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2022//
TI  - Self-harm, suicidal ideation and attempts among school-attending adolescents in Bamako, Mali
JO  - Children (Basel, Switzerland)
A1  - Yedong, Wu
A1  - Coulibaly, Souleymane Papa
A1  - Sidibe, Aissata Mahamadou
A1  - Hesketh, Therese
SP  - e542
EP  - e542
VL  - 9
IS  - 4
N2  - Suicide and self-harm are major public health concerns for adolescents globally, but there is a dearth of related research in West Africa. This study aims to examine the prevalence and associated factors for self-harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among adolescents in the West African country of Mali. A questionnaire survey was conducted among adolescents attending school or university in August 2019 in Bamako, the capital of Mali. Logistical constraints necessitated convenience sampling. Outcome measures were self-harm and suicide ideation and attempts. Predictor variables included sociodemographic characteristics, bullying and mental health problems. There were 606 respondents who completed questionnaires; their mean age was 16.1 (SD = 2.4); 318 (52.5%) were identified as male; and 44.4% reported self-harm at some point in their life, with 21% reporting suicide ideation and 9.7% actual suicide attempts. For all three outcomes, older age, knowing somebody personally who had experienced self-harm or taken their own life, moderate to severe depression or anxiety, and being a victim of bullying were highly significant risk factors for self-harm, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts in these adolescents, while high self-esteem decreased the risk. The study suggests that self-harm and suicidal behaviour are relatively common in Malian adolescents who are still in education. However, much more research is needed to better understand this phenomenon.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 2227-9067
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/children9040542
ID  - ref1
ER  -