Self-Harm Behavior and Suicidality Among Adolescents in Samara Region.

Introduction: Self-harm behavior is a significant global concern, with Russia among the countries with high prevalence rates. Adolescents and young adults (15-29 years old) are particularly vulnerable, with suicide being the fourth leading cause of death in this age group. Our objective was to present statistics on suicidality and non-suicidal self-harm behavior (NSSH) among adolescents in the Samara region and to identify psychosocial differences between patients hospitalized for the first time and those hospitalized repeatedly.

Subjects and methods: This study is a retrospective chart analysis of adolescents hospitalized due to suicidal ideation or attempts in 2023. Data were collected from hospital records, comprising a diverse sample of adolescents.

Results: The sample included 76 adolescents, with a significant gender imbalance, as 84.2% were female. Chronic family conflicts presumably were the most influential factor, rather than family composition. Data on hereditary predisposition were subjective and presumably did not correlate with the number of hospitalizations. Fetal hypoxia was the only notable perinatal pathology. Self-harm behavior was more common in readmissions, while suicidal thoughts were present in similar proportions in both initial and repeat hospitalizations. The main reasons for self-harm behavior were the desire to gain control over life or to relieve emotional pain. Only 2.6% of cases were directly aimed at suicide.

Conclusions: Identified risk factors for suicidal behavior among adolescents included female gender, an unfavorable family environment, and NSSH, which, although not directly suicidal, increased the risk of future suicidal behavior. These factors should be considered in the diagnosis and prevention of suicidal behavior.