1. Objectifs

Intentions :
The goal of the present study was to evaluate the link between youth suicide and psychiatric disorders (depressive disorders, substance/alcohol abuse disorders, disruptive disorders, impulsiveness, aggressiveness, hostility,
tridimensional personality).

Questions/Hypothèses :
« [W]e expect that primary mood disorders will be more closely associated with youth risk for suicide, and that substance abuse and conduct disorder will make substantive but quantitatively smaller contributions to this risk. Additionally, we predict that suicide victims will present with higher levels of impulsive/aggressive behaviors, as well as with a greater tendency toward the personality dimension of harm avoidance when compared to living controls. » (p. 222)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
« In the present study, 55 consecutive youth suicide victims (adjudicated by coroners of the Province of Quebec) aged 11–18 years were matched to 55 living youths for age (within 2 years), gender (43 males; 12 females), and geographic area. » (p. 222)

Instruments :
- The « Brown–Goodwin History of Aggression (BGHA) (Brown and Goodwin, 1986) »;
- the « Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (BIS) (Barratt, 1959) »;
- the « Buss–Durkee Hostility Inventory (BDHI) (Buss and Durkee, 1957) »;
- the « Tridimensional Personality Questionnaire (TPQ) (Luby et al., 1999) ». (p. 223)

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse statistique

3. Résumé

« Over the last few decades, suicide among the young has emerged as a major global public health problem [...] In the Province of Quebec, Canada, the suicide rate for children and adolescents is one of the highest not only in the country [...] Previous studies (carried out mostly in the U.S. and in Europe) have established the relationship between the presence of psychiatric disorders and youth suicide. [...] Therefore, in the present paper we describe a casecontrol study of child and adolescent suicide victims and demographically-matched community controls carried out in the Province of Quebec, Canada. [...] In the present study, 55 children and adolescents who committed suicide were compared to a group of 55 living subjects. [...] For both groups, a key respondent best acquainted with the subject in question was interviewed by clinicians using standardized diagnostic interviews. Families of suicides were invited to participate in this study by mail. [...] Concluding, our findings support the notion that for preventing youth suicide, special attention should be directed towards children and adolescents with depressive disorders, and also towards those with substance/alcohol abuse and disruptive disorders. Additionally, our study reinforces the need for an improved understanding of the interrelationships between stressors, depression, personality traits/dimensions, and suicidal behavior. » (pp. 221-222; 225-226)