Suicide risk in adolescents with chronic illness: implications for primary care and specialty pediatric practice: a review

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress and Trauma-Informed Care in Pediatric Chronic Illness: A Healthcare Provider Survey

OBJECTIVE

To inform approaches to pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS) by exploring providers' (1) perception of the impact of PMTS on the medical care of patients with pediatric-onset chronic illnesses, (2) self-reported competencies and practices of PMTS prevention, treatment, and counseling, and (3) perception of the barriers influencing the adoption of these practices.

STUDY DESIGN

A convenience sample of multidisciplinary healthcare providers was recruited through a multimodal recruitment strategy to participate in an electronic survey adapted from the Trauma-Informed Care Provider Survey.

RESULTS

Among participants (n = 304), 99% agreed that PMTS impacts patient health. Participants report altering medical care plans due to PMTS, including deferring or stopping treatments (n = 98 [32%]) and changing medication regimens (n = 88 [29%]). Sixty-eight percent (n = 208) report negative impact of PMTS on patient implementation of medical care plans, including medication nonadherence (n = 153 [50%]) and missed appointments (n = 119 [39%]). Although participants agreed it is their job to decrease patient stress (n = 292 [96%]) and perform PMTS assessments (n = 268 [88%]), few practiced PMTS-focused trauma informed care. Systems-level barriers to practice included insufficient training, absent clinical workflows, and lack of access to mental health experts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings have helped inform a conceptual framework for understanding the relationship between PMTS and health outcomes. Systems-level opportunities to optimize PMTS-focused trauma-informed care include (1) dissemination of provider training, (2) integrated workflows for PMTS mitigation, and (3) enhanced accessibility to mental health providers. Further work is required to determine if these interventions can improve health outcomes in patients with pediatric-onset chronic illnesses.

Racial Disparities in Mental Health Disorders in Youth with Chronic Medical Conditions

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the association between race/ethnicity, poverty, and mental health in youth with chronic conditions.

STUDY DESIGN

A cross-sectional comparative study was performed using the records of a tertiary care center from 2011 to 2015.

INCLUSION CRITERIA

children aged 4-17 years with ≥1 hospitalization or emergency department visit. Exclusion criteria were those with arrhythmias or treatment with clonidine/benzodiazepines. The primary outcome variable was diagnosis or medication for anxiety, depression, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The primary predictor variable was diagnosis of cystic fibrosis (CF), sickle cell disease (SCD), or congenital heart disease (CHD).

RESULTS

We identified 112 313 patients, 0.2% with CF, 0.4% with SCD, and 1.0% with CHD. Patients with CF had the highest prevalence (23%) and odds (OR, 4.21; 95% CI, 3.07-5.77) of anxiety or depression, whereas patients with SCD had the lowest prevalence (7%) and odds (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 1.11-2.14). Those with CHD had a prevalence of up to 17%, with 3-4 times higher odds of anxiety or depression (OR, 3.70; 95% CI, 2.98-4.61). All non-White participants were less likely to be diagnosed or treated for anxiety or depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Although poverty increased the probability of anxiety or depression in patients with CHD, this finding was not seen in patients with CF or SCD.

CONCLUSIONS

Children with CF, SCD, and CHD are at increased risk of anxiety or depression; however non-White patients are likely being underdiagnosed and undertreated. Increased screening and recognition in minority children are needed to decrease disparities in mental health outcomes.

Self-reported sleep quality and mental health mediate the relationship between chronic diseases and suicidal ideation among Chinese medical students

High prevalence and strong associations of chronic disease, poor sleep quality, poor mental health, and suicidal ideation (SI) have been reported worldwide. However, the underlying mechanism remains unexamined. The participants were 2646 Chinese medical college students with an average age of 20.13 years. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, and SI was evaluated. The lifetime SI, past 12-month SI, and chronic disease prevalence rates were 10.0%, 8.4%, and 4.6%, respectively. The results of logistic regression analysis in this study found that chronic disease, self-reported poor sleep quality, poor mental health, gender and scholarship were associated with lifetime SI. Similar results were also found for 12-month SI with an exception of region. This result indicated that the effects of chronic diseases on the SI were mediated by self-reported sleep quality and mental health. Physical diseases, sleep-related concerns, and mental health issues need to be addressed through a multidisciplinary team approach and various delivery systems to prevent SI among medical college students.

Pediatric Medical Traumatic Stress in Inflammatory Bowel Disease, Pancreatitis, and Cystic Fibrosis

OBJECTIVES

Known as pediatric medical traumatic stress (PMTS), posttraumatic stress symptoms from medical experiences have not been explored in children with chronic gastrointestinal diseases. This cross-sectional study of children and adolescents with inflammatory bowel disease, chronic pancreatitis and cystic fibrosis, aimed to (1) estimate the prevalence of medical potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and PMTS, (2) explore potential risk factors for PMTS, and (3) explore potential consequences of PMTS.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study used validated, self-report measures to evaluate PTEs and PMTS. Descriptive statistics and regression analyses were used to achieve study objectives.

RESULTS

Over two-thirds of children reported a medical potentially traumatic event (91 of 132, 69%). Forty-eight had PMTS symptoms (36%). PMTS was associated with medication burden, emergency and intensive care visits, and parent posttraumatic stress disorder in multivariate analysis. Potential consequences associated with PMTS included school absenteeism, home opioid use, poor quality of life, and parent missed work.

CONCLUSIONS

A substantial portion of our cohort reported medical PTEs and PMTS. The exploratory analysis identified potential associations between PMTS and illness factors, parent posttraumatic stress disorder, and functional impairments. Further studies of PMTS detection, prevention and treatment are integral to optimizing these children's health and quality of life.

Trends and prevalence of suicide 2017-2021 and its association with COVID-19: Interrupted time series analysis of a national sample of college students in the United States

BACKGROUND

Suicide is among the leading causes of death for college students. We aimed to assess the impact of the pandemic on trends in suicidal thoughts and behaviors among college students, and whether suicidal thoughts and behaviors were associated with COVID-19 infection and psychosocial factors.

METHODS

We analyzed 2017-2021 data from 4 waves of Healthy Minds Study including a random sample of college students (N = 354,473) from 286 U.S. institutions. We performed interrupted time series analysis to model the effect of the pandemic on trends in suicidal ideation (SI), plan (SP), and attempt (SA). At the peripandemic assessment, we utilized multivariable logistic regression to examine the association of SI, SP, and SA with COVID-19 infection and psychosocial factors.

RESULTS

We observed significant decreases in SI, SP, and SA among college students from 2017 to 2021. The pandemic was significantly associated with a 1.33 percentage points reduction in SI and a 0.85 percentage points reduction in SP but was not associated with a significant reduction in SA. Adjusted associations of SI, SP, and SA with risk factors showed the significant odds ratio (OR) for suspected COVID-19 infection (SI: 1.33, SP: 1.22, SA: 1.32), severe depression (SI: 6.39, SP: 6.63, SA: 5.63), severe anxiety (SI: 3.66, SP: 3.62, SA: 3.60), COVID-19-related financial stress (SI: 1.35, SP: 1.34, SA: 1.48), food insecurity (SI: 2.12, SP: 2.13, SA: 2.79), and academic impairment (SI: 2.07, SP: 2.05, SA: 2.14) but not for test-confirmed COVID-19.

CONCLUSION

Certain COVID-19 mitigation strategies might have protected college students from suicidal thoughts/behaviors.

Youth suicide and hospital-presenting suicide attempts: Examination of risk factors for multiple suicide attempts in adolescence

BACKGROUND

The suicide rate among adolescents around the world has increased rapidly. There are many risk factors for attempting suicide, but not all have been clarified yet. Therefore, it is very important to identify risk factors. This study evaluated adolescents with a history of suicide attempts and their association with chronic diseases. Besides, to check whether they attempted suicide multiple times. Other clinical features related to multiple suicide attempts were investigated.

METHOD

This study used a multicentre, retrospective cross-sectional design; 253 adolescents admitted to emergency departments in 2019 for suicide attempts were evaluated.

RESULTS

Adolescents with chronic disease were at greater risk for both single and multiple suicide attempts and patients had a 6.14 times higher risk of multiple attempts (p = .013). The likelihood of multiple attempts did not differ according to the presence of somatic or psychiatric disease. Multiple attempters were more likely to poison themselves with their therapeutic drugs (p = .002).

CONCLUSION

When adolescents with a chronic disease present to the emergency services after a single suicide attempt using their therapeutic drugs, families should be informed regarding the potential for further attempts.

[Asthma and suicidal behavior in adolescents: a literature review]

INTRODUCTION

Adolescence is a difficult time in life and asthma has major psychological consequences for adolescents.

OBJECTIVES

This systematic literature review focused on the association between asthma and suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideations [SI], suicide plans [SP] and suicide attempts [SA]) among adolescents in the general population.

METHOD

Research on Medline for the 1980-2021 period. Objectives This systematic literature review focused on the association between asthma and suicidal behaviors (suicidal ideations [SI], suicide plans [SP] and suicide attempts [SA]) among adolescents in the general population.

RESULTS

An overwhelming majority of the studies taken into consideration demonstrated a significant positive association between asthma and suicidal behaviors. Among the 10 studies assessing SI (with or without SP), 9 of them found a significant positive association between asthma and SI. Eight studies assessed SA; five cross-sectional studies and one prospective study demonstrated a significant positive association between asthma and SA. Only one case-control study did not find a significant positive association between asthma and SA after hospitalization for asthma. The two cross-sectional studies assessing suicidal risk taken as a whole (SI, SP and SA) demonstrated a significant positive association between asthma and at least one suicidal behavior. (OR=1.71; P<0.001). However, several studies did not include depression as an adjustment factor.

CONCLUSION

It is important that healthcare professionals assess suicide risk in adolescent suffering from asthma, the objective being to avoid SA or death from SA.

Level of behavioral health integration and suicide risk screening results in pediatric ambulatory subspecialty care

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to characterize suicide risk screening results for youth in pediatric ambulatory subspecialty clinics.

METHOD

The Ask Suicide-Screening Questions was administered to patients ages 9-24 years in 12 subspecialty clinics to assess suicide risk, determined by suicide ideation/behavior. The SAMSHA-HRSA standard framework for integrated health was used to categorize each clinic's level of behavioral health integration.

RESULTS

6365 patients completed 7440 suicide risk screens; 6.2% of patients screened positive at their initial screen and 4.1% at subsequent annual screens. There was no dose-response pattern between increasing level of integration and decreasing likelihood of a positive suicide screen. Youth identifying as gender expansive were 3.1 times (95% CI [2.0, 4.9]) more likely to screen positive as compared to cisgender youth, adjusted for age, gender, race/ethnicity, screen type, year, and clinic integration level.

CONCLUSION

Results surrounding disparities in suicide risk based on gender identity underscore the importance of further investigating how to optimally identify and manage high-risk, often understudied youth at suicide risk.

History of Physical Teen Dating Violence and Its Association With Suicidal Behaviors Among Adolescent High School Students: Results From the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey

Although studies have investigated and found physical teen dating violence (TDV) has a significant negative impact on mental health outcomes, few studies are yet to investigate the effect of physical TDV on suicidal behaviors among adolescents. The objectives of this study are to examine the prevalence of physical TDV, suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt among adolescents aged 14 to 18 years and the association between physical TDV and these suicidal behaviors. Data for this study were obtained from the 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey. A sample of 9,693 adolescents aged 14 to 18 years (50.4% males) was analyzed using logistic regression with suicidal ideation, suicide plan, and suicide attempt as outcome variables and physical TDV as the main explanatory variable. About 17% of the adolescent students experienced suicidal ideation, 13.7% made a suicide plan, and 7.6% attempted suicide during the past 12 months. Among those who were dating, 9.9% experienced physical TDV. In the multivariate logistic regression, adolescent students who experienced physical TDV were 1.92 times more likely to have experienced suicidal ideation, 1.67 times more likely to have made a suicide plan, and 2.42 times more likely to have attempted suicide during the past 12 months when compared with their counterparts who were dating but experienced no physical TDV. Other significant predictors of suicidal behaviors include being a sexual minority, experiencing forced sex, bullying, feeling sad or hopeless, and binge drinking. Having sufficient sleep lowered the odds of suicidal ideation and suicide plan. The topic of physical TDV and its association with suicidal behaviors among adolescents is such an important issue for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in the United States and around the world. Prevention and intervention efforts should be culturally tailored to reflect the unique experiences with physical TDV and suicide among minority populations such as sexual minority adolescents.

"Improving the quality of care for adolescents and young adults on an adult medical ward"

BACKGROUND

Adolescents and young adults have health needs which are distinctly different from children and adults. A lack of education and training is reported by clinicians to be one of the main barriers to providing comprehensive developmentally appropriate care to young people, including the provision of confidential healthcare and taking a holistic approach.

AIM

This study documents the current provision of care to young people on an adult inpatient medical ward at a large tertiary teaching hospital in Auckland.

METHODS

Forty-three staff and 40 patients aged 16-24 years on an adult medical ward completed surveys, which were based on the Northern Regional Alliance, Northern Regional Youth Health Network Standards for Quality Care for Adolescents and Young Adults in Secondary or Tertiary Care.

RESULTS

Few staff (12%) had completed any specific training in looking after adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients. Confidentiality was not routinely discussed with young people by 50% of clinicians, and only 23% of staff reported that they see a young person alone as part of their consultation or admission. Less than half of young people reported receiving a comprehensive psychosocial assessment that included sexual health, mental health and suicide, and safety.

CONCLUSIONS

Key components of comprehensive developmentally appropriate healthcare were not regularly carried out by staff on an adult medical ward. These findings suggest that further education and training, and service improvements are needed in tertiary adult hospital settings. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Comparison of factors associated with successful transition of care in patients with HIV versus other chronic diseases

BACKGROUND

Transfer of pediatric patients to adult care is an integral part of optimizing care of chronically ill patients and requires advanced infrastructure and availability of a multidisciplinary team. Thus, assessing factors associated with transition to adult care in this and the other chronic disease group will aid in the targeting intervention programs. The aim of the study was to compare factors associated with transitional readiness and health risk behaviors between adolescents with HIV infection and other chronic diseases.

METHODS

Participants ages 14 to 18 were recruited from chronic care clinics at Siriraj hospital between 2015 and 2016. Self-assessment questionnaires composed of health risk behaviors and a 25-item Likert Scale transition readiness questionnaire with possible scores ranging from 25 to 100 were administered. Analysis was done by SPSS 18.

RESULTS

There were 165 adolescents who participated in the study. Median age was 16 years (range, 14-18). The overall transitional readiness average score was 54.15 ± 8.4 which showed no difference between HIV group (HIVG) and other chronic illness group (non-HIVG). The subjects in the HIVG scored significantly higher in self-management skills (13.03 ± 2.1 vs.12.09 ± 2.8, p < 0.05) than their non-HIV counterparts. However, they scored lower in their perception of transition readiness than non-HIVG (13.6 ±2.1 vs. 14.85 ± 2.5, p < 0.05). Adolescents who were not HIV-infected were more likely to not want to attend school because of their illness (OR = 4.33, 95% CI = 0.97-19.24.) Conversely, HIV-infected adolescents were more likely to used social media (OR=10.2, 95% CI = 3.26-31.98), consume alcohol beverage (OR = 2.83, 95% CI =1.23-6.49), smoked cigarettes (OR = 4.17, 95% CI =1.31-13.26), and lack STD knowledge (OR = 3.63, 95% CI = 1.49-8.81) rather than non-HIV infected adolescents.

CONCLUSION

HIV-infected adolescents perceived their self-management skills to be higher than adolescent with other chronic diseases. However, HIV-infected adolescents still possess increased health risk behaviors. To effectively formulate transitional care practice in the Thai context, the program should be focused on health risk behaviors.

Chronic medical conditions and suicidal behaviors in a nationally representative sample of American adolescents

PURPOSE

Chronic medical conditions are a risk factor for the onset of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adults. However, few studies have examined this association in adolescents. The present study explored the association between chronic medical conditions and the emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in an adolescent sample representative of the U.S.A.

METHOD

Using data from the National Comorbidity Survey-Adolescent Supplement (10,148 Americans between ages 13-17), discrete-time survival analyses were performed to examine the odds of developing suicidal ideation, planning, and attempts, given prior presence of a chronic medical condition. Multivariate models controlled for sociodemographic factors and the presence of comorbid mental health conditions. Post-hoc sensitivity analyses examined associations between timing of chronic medical condition onset and later suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

RESULTS

Multivariate analyses showed that dermatological conditions, asthma, allergies, headache, and back/neck pain were associated with elevated odds of suicidal ideation, while cardiovascular conditions were associated with increased odds of suicide attempts. Additionally, cardiovascular conditions were associated with increased risk of suicide planning and attempts among adolescents with suicidal ideation. Chronic medical conditions that began in adolescence were associated with the greatest risk of later suicidal thoughts and behaviors, compared to chronic medical conditions that began in early or middle childhood.

CONCLUSION

Consistent with research in middle and older adults, physical health conditions are associated with increased risk for the onset of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in adolescents. Mental health screening for adolescents with chronic medical conditions may help parents and physicians identify suicidality early.

In-Depth Interviews to Assess the Relevancy and Fit of a Peer-Mentored Intervention for Transition-Age Youth with Chronic Medical Conditions

STUDY PURPOSE

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relevancy and fit of a proposed group-based, peer-mentored intervention, based on the principles of Self-Determination Theory (SDT), to facilitate the development of health self-management skills needed to transition from pediatric to adult-based healthcare.

DESIGN AND METHODS

Individual in-depth interviews with 28 transition-age youth (TAY) ages 17-22 and 24 caregivers (parents) from Gastroenterology, Renal and Rheumatology clinical services assessed interests in and preferred content, timing of and format for an intervention to help youth build self-management skills. Descriptive statistics were used for short answer questions and rating scales. Thematic analysis was used to analyze transcripts.

RESULTS

>90% of TAY and all caregivers thought the proposed group-based transition skills-building intervention was a good idea. TAY expressed wanting someone with lived experience to lead it and a desire to meet other youth with chronic conditions. All caregivers would want their TAY to participate if given the opportunity. Both TAY and caregivers voiced the importance of mental health topics as many TAY experienced anxiety or depression over managing their illness. Nearly 50% of TAY and caregivers thought parents should attend some or all group sessions, though TAY and caregivers within the same family did not always agree.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings establish the relevancy and fit of a peer-mentored intervention focused on skill development to successfully transition to adult healthcare.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The group intervention designed using a SDT framework may be particularly relevant as autonomy, competence, and relatedness undergo major developmental changes during adolescence.

Engaging Patient Stakeholders in Planning, Implementing, and Disseminating Occupational Therapy Research

Patients1 are experts on their own lives and the ways in which an illness, injury, or disability affects their health, activity, and quality of life. With its longstanding foundations in participatory action research, patient engagement has been gaining momentum across health care and related research. This momentum is supported by investments from several key research and federal policy–related organizations, including the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute, National Institutes of Health, and Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Occupational therapy practitioners are uniquely positioned to champion patient collaborations. In this article, we discuss ways in which patient perspectives can be embraced in occupational therapy research, and we share insights from a research planning collaborative with adolescents and young adults that was led by occupational therapy researchers.

Transition for Adolescents and Young Adults With Asthma

Asthma is a complex, heterogenous medical condition which is very common in children and adults. The transition process from pediatric to adult health care services can be a challenge for young people with chronic medical conditions. The significant changes in physical and mental health during this time, as well as the many unique developmental and psychosocial challenges that occur during adolescence can complicate and impede transition if not adequately addressed and managed. The transition period can also be a challenging time for health professionals to assess readiness for transition and manage some of the complications which are particularly common during this time, including poor adherence to therapy, smoking, drug use, and emerging mental health conditions. The natural history, presentation, symptoms, and management of asthma is often significantly different when comparing pediatric and adult practice. In addition, management in infants, toddlers, school aged children, and adolescents differs significantly, offering an additional challenge to pediatric physicians managing asthmatic children and young people. Despite these challenges, if the transition process for young people with asthma is planned and performed in a formalized manner, many of these issues can be addressed, allowing the transition to occur smoothly despite changes that may occur in medical and psychosocial domains.

Suicide Attempts Among Adolescents with Self-Reported Disabilities

This study examines the relative risk for suicide attempts (SA) among high-school students self-identifying with one or more disability classifications (nine); assesses the extent to which youth with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable to risk factors that predict suicidal behavior among all adolescents; and explores whether disability status adds to risk for SA after accounting for a comprehensive set of known risk and protective factors for SA. Analyses using Wisconsin's 2012 Dane County Youth Assessment Survey data found that youth in each disability category were 3-9 times more likely to report suicide attempt(s) relative to peers, and the endorsement of multiple disabilities tripled the risk SA relative to youth reporting a single disability. Some disability sub-groups, including youth reporting autism spectrum disorder, hearing, and vision impairments reported surprisingly high rates of SA. While youth with disabilities reported disproportionate exposure to adversity in every life domain examined, similar to youth reporting SA, disability status added unique risk for suicidal behavior. This suggests that disability may be a 'fundamental cause' of suicidal behavior, a question that requires further investigation.

Predictors of adolescents' mental health problems in Saudi Arabia: findings from the Jeeluna® national study

BACKGROUND

Depression and anxiety among adolescents require further attention as they have profound harmful implications on several aspects of adolescents' wellbeing and can be associated with life threatening risk behaviors such as suicide.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the underlying risk factors for feeling so sad or hopeless and for feeling worried among adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

METHODS

Data from Jeeluna® national survey was used. A cross-sectional, multi-stage, stratified, cluster random sampling technique was applied among a sample of students aged 10-19 years attending intermediate and secondary schools in Saudi Arabia. A self-administered questionnaire assessing several domains, including feeling so sad or hopeless and worried, was used to collect data. Logistic regression models were fitted to determine the different factors associated with mental health.

RESULTS

A sample of 12,121 students was included in this study. Feeling so sad or hopeless and feeling worried were significantly more prevalent among females and older adolescents (p < 0.0001). The results showed that poor relationship with parents, negative body image, and chronic illness to be significantly associated with feeling so sad or hopeless and worried.

CONCLUSIONS

Symptoms suggestive of mental health problems among adolescents in Saudi Arabia are prevalent and deserve special attention. Adopting effective strategies, including regular screening and intervention programs are highly needed to better address, detect, and control early signs of these problems.

Psychiatric Emergencies: Assessing and Managing Suicidal Ideation

The assessment of suicide risk is a daunting, but increasingly frequent task for outpatient practitioners. Guidelines for depression screening identify more individuals at risk for treatment and mental health resources are not always easily accessible. For those patients identified as in need of a formal suicide risk assessment, this article reviews established risk and protective factors for suicide and provides a framework for the assessment and management of individuals at risk of suicide. The assessment should be explicitly documented with a summary of the most relevant risk/protective factors for that individual with a focus on interventions that may mitigate risk.

The relation between child maltreatment and adolescent suicidal behavior: a systematic review and critical examination of the literature

A large body of research suggests that child maltreatment (CM) is associated with adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts. These studies, however, have not been critically examined and summarized in a manner that allows us to draw firm conclusions and make recommendations for future research and clinical work in this area. In this review, we evaluated all of the research literature to date examining the relationship between CM and adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts. Results generally suggest that childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, emotional abuse, and neglect are associated with adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts across community, clinical, and high-risk samples, using cross-sectional and longitudinal research designs. In most studies, these associations remain significant when controlling for covariates such as youth demographics, mental health, family, and peer-related variables. When different forms of CM are examined in the same multivariate analysis, most research suggests that each form of CM maintains an independent association with adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. However, a subset of studies yielded evidence to suggest that sexual abuse and emotional abuse may be relatively more important in explaining suicidal behavior than physical abuse or neglect. Research also suggests an additive effect-each form of CM contributes unique variance to adolescent suicide attempts. We discuss the current limitations of this literature and offer recommendations for future research. We conclude with an overview of the clinical implications of this research, including careful, detailed screening of CM history, past suicidal behavior, and current suicidal ideation, as well as the need for integrated treatment approaches that effectively address both CM and adolescent suicidal ideation and suicide attempts.

The prevalence of chronic health conditions impacting on daily functioning and the association with emotional well-being among a national sample of high school students

PURPOSE

This study aims to describe the prevalence of self-reported chronic health conditions among high school students in New Zealand, the extent to which the condition impacts on their activities and socialization, and to explore the association between the level of impact of the illness or disability and the emotional well-being of students with chronic health conditions.

METHODS

A two-stage cluster sample of 9,107 students (Years 9-13) from 96 New Zealand high schools participated in a 2007 health survey using internet tablets. Students were asked about any chronic illness or disabilities lasting more than 6 months, the impact of the illness or disabilities on their daily activities and socialization, and their depressive symptoms (RADS-SF) and emotional well-being (WHO-5).

RESULTS

Almost one in five students (18%) reported a chronic health condition. Among them, 28% reported an impact of their illness or disability on their activities, and 8% reported an impact on their ability to socialize. High levels of depressive symptoms were found among students with chronic health conditions reporting that their illness or disability impacts their activities (18%) or their ability to socialize (40%), and this was significantly higher than among students without chronic health conditions (10%).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggest that there is a large group of adolescents with chronic health conditions for whom their illness or disability has an impact on their daily activities and ability to socialize with their peers. These students are more likely to experience emotional distress and require support and opportunities for healthy youth development.

Increase of suicide and accidental death after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: a cohort study on behalf of the Late Effects Working Party of the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT)

BACKGROUND

Relapse and transplant-related complications are leading causes of mortality after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). Suicides and accidents have not been studied in these patients. This study sought to determine whether there is an excess of suicide and accidental deaths after HSCT, and to determine risk factors.

METHODS

The incidence of suicidal and accidental death in patients after undergoing HSCT, standardized mortality ratio (SMR), and absolute excess risk (AER) of suicide and accidental deaths was determined, compared with the general European population. A case-control analysis was done to define factors associated with suicide and accidental deaths. Data were derived from the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry, including 294,922 patients who underwent autologous or allogeneic HSCT from 1980 to 2009.

RESULTS

The 10-year cumulative incidence of suicide and accidental deaths was 101.8 and 55.6 per 100,000 patients, respectively. SMR and AER of suicide after HSCT were 2.12 (P < .001) and 10.91, higher than in the European general population for 100,000 deaths, respectively. SMR and AER of accidental death were 1.23 (P < .05) and 2.54, respectively. In the case-control study, relapses were more frequent among patients who committed suicide after autologous HSCT (37% versus 18%; P < .0001). Chronic graft-versus-host disease was higher among patients who committed suicide after allogeneic HSCT (64% versus 37%; P = .001).

CONCLUSIONS

There is an excess of deaths due to suicide and accidents in patients after undergoing HSCT as compared with the European general population. Relapse was associated with more suicide and accidental deaths after autologous HSCT, and chronic graft-versus-host disease was associated with more deaths by suicide after allogeneic HSCT. Cancer 2013;119:2012–2021. © 2013 American Cancer Society.

Applying a coping with stress questionnaire for cancer patients to patients with non-cancer chronic illnesses

One of the few instruments to evaluate coping skills among patients with chronic illnesses is the Cuestionario de Afrontamiento al Estrés para Pacientes Oncológicos (CAEPO), created initially for cancer patients. We evaluate how well CAEPO applies to patients with non-cancer chronic illnesses. A total of 344 patients (115 with chronic hepatitis C, 120 with inflammatory bowel disease and 109 with recurrent vertigo) completed the CAEPO. Exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach's alpha provide only partial support for the seven factors suggested by the original CAEPO. A streamlined version with fewer dimensions and items may be a better solution for identifying coping strategies among these patients.

Management issues for adolescents with cystic fibrosis

The healthy adolescent will encounter major changes in biological and psychosocial domains. The adolescent period can be greatly affected by a chronic illness. Cystic fibrosis is a terminal illness that can significantly affect an adolescent's biological, mental and psychosocial health. This paper discusses general issues to consider when managing an adolescent with a chronic medical condition, and specifically how cystic fibrosis may impact upon puberty, body image, risk-taking behaviours, mental health, independence, nonadherence, reproductive health, transition, lung transplantation, and end of life care.

Increased risks of developing anxiety and depression in young patients with Crohn's disease

OBJECTIVES

Crohn's disease (CD) is associated with substantial psychosocial burden and increased risks for mental health disorders. This retrospective cohort study compared the risks of developing anxiety disorders and depression and incidences of psychotropic medication use between young CD patients and matched CD-free controls.

METHODS

Medical claims, prescription drug claims, enrollment, and demographic data for patients <18 years diagnosed with CD were obtained from the MarketScan database (1 January 2000-30 June 2006). Each CD patient was matched with five CD-free controls based on exact age, sex, and months of health plan enrollment. Incidence rates and risks of developing anxiety disorders and depression and psychotropic medication use in the 6 months after the index date were compared, as were risks of developing persistent anxiety or depression (receiving medical services related to a diagnosis of anxiety or depression or psychotropic therapy for >1 year).

RESULTS

After adjustment for patient characteristics, the risks of developing anxiety disorders (hazard ratio (HR) [95% confidence interval (CI);[equals;2.28 [1.65-3.17]) and depression (HR [95% CI;[equals;1.74 [1.35-2.25]) after CD diagnosis were significantly greater for the CD cohort (N=2,144) than for CD-free controls (N=10,720). Patients with CD also had greater risks of developing persistent anxiety and persistent depression (HR [95% CI;[equals;4.35 [2.22-8.50] and 2.75 [1.73-4.38], respectively).

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with matched CD-free controls, young patients with CD had significantly greater risks of developing anxiety disorders and depression, were more likely to receive psychotropic treatments, and had significantly greater risks of developing persistent anxiety and depression.

Caring for teens with chronic illness: risky business?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

With advances in medicine, more children with chronic illness are reaching adolescence and young adulthood. Research has shown that this group is not immune to the behavioral risks endorsed by healthy adolescents. Recent literature exploring the etiology of risk behaviors and their impact on chronic illness is presented.

RECENT FINDINGS

Risk taking may be the result of differential maturation of two distinct parts of the adolescent brain. Risk taking can be considered normal in adolescents with chronic illness, but there is some evidence that chronic illness affects normal psychosocial development. Moreover, evidence supports that chronic illness can lead to disparities in risk education and assessment because of disease focused management rather than a more comprehensive approach.

SUMMARY

Youth living with chronic illnesses face unique challenges in accomplishing the developmental tasks of adolescence. These challenges include risk behaviors, which jeopardize current and future health. The reasons for risk taking are multifactorial and require providers to make the adolescent and not the illness the center of management. More research is needed on how to improve developmentally appropriate and relevant interventions to aid in safe passage into adulthood.

The mediating effect of psychosocial factors on suicidal probability among adolescents

Suicidal probability is an actual tendency including negative self-evaluation, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, and hostility. The purpose of this study was to examine the role of psychosocial variances in the suicidal probability of adolescents, especially the role of mediating variance. This study investigated the mediating effects of psychosocial factors such as depression, anxiety, self-esteem, stress, and social support on the suicidal probability among 1,586 adolescents attending middle and high schools in the Kyunggi Province area of South Korea. The relationship between depression and anxiety/suicidal probability was mediated by both social resources and self-esteem. Furthermore, the influence of social resources was mediated by interpersonal and achievement stress as well as self-esteem. This study suggests that suicidal probability in adolescents has various relationships, including mediating relations, with several psychosocial factors. The interventions on suicidal probability in adolescents should focus on social factors as well as clinical symptoms.