Selected predictors of suicidal behavior of youth in Poland

Abstract

Suicidal behavior is a growing problem both in Poland and other countries. In recent decades, there has been a dynamic increase in the number of suicide attempts and suicides in the group of young people. Adolescents are predisposed to suicidal behavior more than adults due to developmental changes occurring in their organisms. However, there are difficulties in accurately identifying predictors of suicide. Depression, anxiety, the use of psychoactive substances, and eating disorders are important risk factor for suicide death, but they can also co-occur with other psychopathological, sociological and psychological predictors. There is a need of greater sensitivity of medical teams, especially in general pediatric wards, as well as widespread awareness of the risk of suicidal behavior during adolescence for effective prevention of this phenomenon. It is a multifaceted task for the entire medical community, not just the domain of psychologists and psychiatrists. The pur-pose of the article is to present the causes of suicidal behavior of adolescents, such as depression, anxiety, the use of psychoactive substances, and eating disorders, based on the analysis of scientific reports in the field of suicidology.