Early detection of potential and actual risk factors for suicidal behavior in adolescents

The article presents the results of a screening of potential and actual risk factors for suicidal behavior of adolescents. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between potential and actual risk factors and suicidal behavior in adolescents aged 13-18. The sample consisted of students from educational organizations in Moscow (n = 2071), aged 13-18. As a comparison group, 75 underage patients with various forms of suicidal behavior were examined. Methods: Testing included the Hopelessness Scale (A.Beck), the Loneliness Scale (UCLA version 3, D. Russell 1993), the Bassa Perry (BPAQ, A.H. Buss, M.P. Perry) questionnaire, the wellness index (WHO -5, Well-Being Index, WHO), Personality Disorder (PDQ-IV, 3 Scales: Narcissistic, Borderline and Negative, Hyler, 1987), Family Flexibility and Cohesion Scale (FACES-3, D.X. Olson, J. Portner, I. Lavi, adaptation of M. Perry). Results: The normative group made up 63.5%, the risk group made up 36.5%. 2 risk groups were indicated. They were found to differ significantly in the degree of severity of the mental state and strategies for medical and psychological support. The first group - 13.9% - included mostly teenagers in a crisis condition with corporal self-harm. They were characterized with high scores on the scales of hopelessness, loneliness, depression. For the second group - 23.9% - the crisis state was associated with aggression as a character accentuation. Based on a comparison of these groups, the key points of the questionnaires, statistically related to suicidal behavior, were identified. The allocation of a risk group is suggested to be based on the data of "key" questions, while other questions of the questionnaires should be used for additional information. The group of teenagers with a risk of self-damaging behavior and signs of a crisis state (hopelessness, loneliness, depression, aggressiveness) require school psychological service specialists attention in the first place. For each group the algorithm of the coping strategy is described. Also gender specific differences in anxiety-depressive feelings of the examined adolescents were revealed: adolescent girls feel the lack of friendly communication more, they have more severe symptoms of depression than boys. At the same time aggression traits are more severe in young men than girls. In young men, scores on all scales of aggression (physical aggression, anger, hostility, verbal aggression) tend to be higher than that of girls at a statistically significant level.