Epidemiology of self-harm and suicide attempts in adolescence
Analysis of the school population of two cities of the Friuli Venezia Giulia Region, Italy

Key words: Self-harm, Suicide attempt, Adolescence, Emergency Unit

Background - Deliberate self-harm and suicide attempts are recognised as a growing health problem in adolescence. Nevertheless, epidemiological studies show a considerable variability in rates due to the difficulties in defining and recognizing suicidal behaviours. Objectives - The present study aims at estimating the rate of self-harm and suicide attempts among adolescents and at describing the characteristics of suicidal behaviours. In this research the characteristics of the school population of two cities of the Region Friuli Venezia Giulia (Trieste and Udine), Italy have been analysed. Materials and Methods - In this school-based study, a sample of 1,171 students attending the first and second years of high school has been analysed using the Youth Self-Report (YSR). YSR is a screening instrument to collect information about the adolescent’s competencies and his/her behavioural/emotional problems. Results - 24.4% of adolescents have clinical scores in scales about anxiety/depression problems (internalizing syndrome), and 29.3% have clinical scores in oppositional/aggressive problems (externalizing syndrome). 18.8% of adolescents report self-harm/suicidal thoughts or behaviours in the last 6 months; adolescents of this group describe themselves with lower school performance and report significantly higher scores on all the scales. Conclusions - It is important to think about the possible meaning of the high percentage of adolescents obtaining clinical scores in behavioural and emotional problem scales. In a predictive perspective, the question is what is the actual psychopathological risk, particularly for those cases with suicidal thoughts or behaviours, associated with self-reported low school performance. From a preventive point of view, it is important to evaluate the need for providing adequate strategies that could help to find and support possible protective factors.