TY - JOUR
PY - 2023//
TI - Examining the relationship between adversity and suicidality and self-harm in Irish adolescents from 2020 to 2022
JO - Journal of affective disorders
A1 - Silke, Charlotte
A1 - Heary, Caroline
A1 - Bunting, Brendan
A1 - Devaney, Carmel
A1 - Groarke, AnnMarie
A1 - Major, Emmet
A1 - Durcan, Micheal
A1 - O'Brien, Cliodhna
A1 - Brady, Bernadine
SP - ePub
EP - ePub
VL - ePub
IS - ePub
N2 - BACKGROUND: Research indicates that there is a strong association between childhood adversity and youth suicide and self-harm. However, there is currently a lack of understanding about the patterns of adversity most frequently experienced by youth across social settings, and whether these typologies differently predict youth engagement in suicide and self-harm. This study examines the dominant patterns of adversity experienced by adolescents across home, peer, and school contexts, and explores the relationship between youth's adversity profiles and their suicide and self-harm outcomes, across a two year period (2020-2022).
METHODS: Secondary analyses were performed on data collected from 10,281 (50 % male) adolescents who participated in the Irish Planet Youth questionnaire in 2020 (n = 5004) or 2022 (n = 5277).
RESULTS: Findings from clustered latent class analyses indicated that there are four dominant profiles of adversity experienced by adolescents. Class 1 (Multiple Adversity) was characterised by a high probability of experiencing adversity across multiple social settings. Class 2 (Parent Adversity) had a strong likelihood of experiencing adversity with parents. Class 3 (Peer Adversity) were likely to experience adversity within the peer/friend domain. Class 4 was characterised by a low probability of experiencing adversity.
FINDINGS from logistic regression models with BCH training weights indicated that there were significant differences in self-harm and suicidality across the adversity classes. In comparison to the low adversity group, adolescents in the multiple adversity group were more likely to self-harm (OR = 29.92; 95 % CI 24.35; 36.77) and attempt suicide (OR = 63.53, 95 % CI 44.17; 91.38). LIMITATIONS: These findings are based on cross-sectional data and rely on the use of single-item measurements, which may limit the generalisability of findings.
DISCUSSION: Results indicate that youth who experience adversity across home, peer and school contexts are at the greatest risk of engaging in suicide and self-harm. These findings have important implications for policy and practice, and suggest that youth experiencing adversity across multiple settings should be priority targets for intervention.
Language: en
LA - en SN - 0165-0327 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.12.065 ID - ref1 ER -