Suicidal behaviour among youngsters in a suicide low-incidence population.

Introduction: The Faroe Islands are a country in the North Atlantic with a population of approximately 53,000 inhabitants. The suicide incidence rate is very low, at some 5/100,000 annual suicides. The Faroese school system participates in the European School Survey Project (ESPAD) every four years, organised by the Department of Occupational Medicine and Public Health. This study aimed to describe the frequency of suicide attempts and ideation among ninth-grades in the Faroes and to elucidate suicide risk factors.

Methods: Data from the ESPAD surveys were obtained from the partners. We used data on suicide attempts and thoughts of self-harm and included the risk factors of gender, smoking and alcohol consumption. Binary logistic regression was used to calculate associations.

Results: The participants were 16-year-old ninth graders. The prevalence of young people with suicide attempts was similar to those of other European countries, as was the prevalence of thoughts of self-harm. The prevalence of suicide attempts and thoughts of self-harm was higher among girls and associated with daily smoking and alcohol. The prevalence of thoughts of self-harm was higher among girls and daily smokers but not associated with alcohol consumption.

Conclusions: This study found that the number of suicide attempts was in line with those of other European countries, as was the prevalence of students with thoughts of self-harm. We discuss reasons why this is the case in an otherwise suicide low-incidence population. The association between suicide attempts and thoughts of self-harm on the one hand, and the risk factors of female gender, daily smoking and alcohol consumption (only for attempted suicide) on the other was expected.

Funding: None.

Trial registration: Not relevant.