Suicide risk and health risk behavior among youth between the ages of 18 and 24 years: a descriptive study

• Published in: Cadernos de saúde pública 2012-02, Vol.28 (2), p.305-312
• Main Authors: Ores, Liliane da Costa, Quevedo, Luciana de Avila, Jansen, Karen, Carvalho, Adriana Bezerra de, Cardoso, Taiane Azevedo, Souza, Luciano Dias de Mattos, Pinheiro, Ricardo Tavares, Silva, Ricardo Azevedo da
• Format: Article
• Language: Portuguese
• Subjects: Adolescent; Age Factors; Brazil; Condoms; Cross-Sectional Studies; Female; Firearms; Humans; Male; Prevalence; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Risk; Risk Assessment; Risk Factors; Risk-Taking; Socioeconomic Factors; Socioeconomic Status; Substance Abuse; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; Suicide; Suicide - psychology; Suicide - statistics & numerical data; Weapons; Young Adult; Youth
• ISSN: 0102-311X; 1678-4464

The aim of this study was to assess suicide risk and risk behavior in young people. A cross-sectional study in the urban area of Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul State, Brazil was performed using systematic sampling with young people between the ages of 18 to 24 years. We measured the risk of suicide (MINI), behavior (YRBSS), abuse/substance dependence (ASSIST) and socioeconomic status (ABEP). Data was analyzed using SPSS software. The sample consisted of 1,560 young people and the prevalence of suicide risk was 8.6%. Suicide risk was associated with: having suffered an accident that required a visit to the emergency room (p = 0.011), fighting (p = 0.016), carrying a weapon (p = 0.001) and carrying a firearm (p ≤ 0.001), substance abuse/dependence (p ≤ 0.001), not having used a condom during the last sexual relationship (p = 0.025), not having a steady partner (p ≤ 0.001) and having sex with five or more people (p = 0.018). Young people that present risk behavior also represent a suicide risk.