Psychological pain and risk of suicide in adolescence

The relationship between chronotype, psychological pain, problematic social media use, and suicidality among university students in Turkey

Chronotype has been extensively linked to various psychological outcomes, including suicide, which significantly impacts the mortality rate among young adults worldwide. Research on the extent of these links is still ongoing. This cross-sectional study aimed to explore the complex relationships between chronotype, internet addiction, problematic social media use (PSMU), psychological pain, and suicidality in a student population. A total of 571 Turkish students (65.3% female, mean age 20.3 ± 1.63 years) completed the following scales: the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS), the Mee-Bunney Psychological Pain Assessment Scale (MBPPAS), the Social Media Disorder Scale (SMDS), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), the Morningness - Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ), and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The results showed that the relationship between chronotype and suicidality was partially mediated by SMDS and MBPPAS but not by anxiety, depression, or IAT. These findings suggest that psychological pain and PSMU may be important factors that contribute to suicidality in evening-type individuals. These findings have significant implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing suicidality among evening-type individuals. By addressing the underlying factors of psychological pain and PSMU, it may be possible to mitigate the increased risk of suicidality among this population.

Risk and protective factors for self-harm in adolescents and young adults: An umbrella review of systematic reviews

We conducted an umbrella review to synthesise the evidence from systematic reviews and meta-analyses that examined the risk and protective factors for self-harm in young people. We searched six different databases and used the AMSTAR-2 checklist for quality assessment. The importance of each risk and protective factor was determined based on (1) the number of times it was identified by general reviews examining any risk or protective factor, and (2) the effect sizes from meta-analyses. There were 61 systematic reviews included in this review. The most frequently identified risk factors for self-harm in young people included childhood abuse, depression/anxiety, bullying, trauma, psychiatric illnesses, substance use/abuse, parental divorce, poor family relationships, lack of friends, and exposure to self-harm behaviour in others. The risk factors with the strongest evidence for an association with self-harm were behavioural disorders, personality disorders and depression or anxiety. There was a dearth of systematic reviews examining protective factors but good family/friend relationships were most frequently identified. There was also evidence to show that non-suicidal and suicidal self-harm shared many of the same risk factors. Clinicians and other professionals who work with young people should be particularly cognisant of the psychiatric and adverse life event risk factors as well as the substance use, education-related and individual-level (e.g. being LGB) risk factors for self-harm. Knowledge of risk factors for self-harm can potentially be used to inform the design and implementation of prevention measures and further research is needed on the protective factors for self-harm.

Wanna Bet? Investigating the Factors Related to Adolescent and Young Adult Gambling

For many adolescents and young adults, gambling can represent an attractive and exciting form of entertainment, a way to take risks and explore new experiences. However, gambling also poses a significant risk for this age group. Research suggests that adolescents and young adults are particularly vulnerable to the negative consequences of gambling, including addiction, financial difficulties, and mental health issues. This paper aims to critically examine data on adolescent and young adult gambling, focusing on the risk factors associated with gambling behavior. A total of 326 subjects (Mage = 19.01; SD =2.72), of whom 65.5% were female, completed a protocol containing a demographic sheet, the Lie/Bet Questionnaire, the Seven Domains Addiction Scale (7DAS), a subscale of the Addictive Behavior Questionnaire and the Coping Inventory for Stressful Situations (CISS). Specifically, we explored the impact of sociodemographic, environmental, psychological, and cognitive factors on adolescent and young adult gambling behavior. Clinical implications and future directions are discussed.

Shame and guilt in the suicidality related to traumatic events: A systematic literature review

BACKGROUND

Shame and guilt are involved in suicidality and in post-traumatic stress disorder. However, few studies have explored the implication of those emotions in the suicidality of patients exposed to traumatic events.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this literature review was to examine the implication of shame and guilt in the suicidality of individuals who have experienced potentially traumatic events or been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. These two emotions are part of post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidality. Moreover, when individuals perceive that their coping strategies are inadequate, they may view suicide as a relief from suffering.

METHOD

This review was conducted according to PRISMA method. We used combinations of search words for traumatization, suicide ideation and behavior and shame and guilt to search for empirical studies in common databases in psychology and medicine.

RESULTS

Among 137 identified articles, 9 full texts were retained. Results suggest that shame and guilt were involved in all aspects of suicidality in patients who had experienced traumatic events or been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. The degree of shame and guilt differed with the type of traumatic event, notably affecting individuals who had experienced military combat, physical or sexual abuse, or emotional or physical neglect.

CONCLUSION

Shame and guilt are implicated in suicide's risk. Future research is now needed to determine whether greater attention to these two emotions would enhance our understanding and anticipation of suicidal behavior in those who have experienced a potentially traumatic event or been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Detecting young people with mental disorders: a cluster-randomised trial of multidisciplinary health teams at the GP office

BACKGROUND

Young people with mental health challenges present a major global challenge. More than half of adults with mental disorders experience their onset before age 14, but early detection and intervention may change this course. Shared care with mental health professionals in general practitioner (GP) offices has demonstrated its potential for improvement in these conditions.

AIM

To investigate whether shared care with mental health professionals in GP offices increases the detection of youth's mental health disorders and is associated with a decrease in use of unspecified symptom diagnoses, as a whole and stratified by patient and physician gender and age, and type of consulting physician.

DESIGN AND SETTING

This was a stratified cluster-randomised controlled trial with data extraction from electronic records. Two GP offices were recruited from each of three boroughs. Each borough had 3-8 GP offices. One GP office was randomised to the intervention group and the other to the control group.

METHOD

We used generalised linear mixed models to assess whether the intervention helped GPs identify more International Classification of Primary Care 2 diagnoses of depression, anxiety and unspecified symptoms in youth.

RESULTS

Over a 18-month period between between 2015 and 2017, the intervention helped GPs identify more youth with anxiety (p=0.002 for interaction), but not depression. The increase was most significant among the patients' regular GPs, less when patients met other GPs and least among external substitute physicians. The frequency of diagnoses with unspecified symptoms decreased in the intervention arm.

CONCLUSION

Shared care with mental health professionals located in GP office contributed to increased detection of youth with anxiety symptoms. The increase was most prominent when the primary care physician was the patient's regular GP. GPs need to pay greater attention to detecting anxiety in youth and embrace shared care models, thereby contributing to reduced mental health disorders in this age group.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03624829; Results.

A Narrative Review of Suicide: Aiming at a More Encompassing Understanding

The suicide experience combines despair with the perception of suicide as the last option to alter its suffering effectively and actively. Shneidman’s phenomenology understands the suicidal mind in terms of psychological pain, as opposed to focusing on the individual context. This article aims to meet and review information from articles and books published in the area of the Phenomenology of Suicide, mostly between 2017 and 2021. By integrating and relating the different philosophical perspectives of the patient, his or her family, and the mental health worker, it is intended to identify emotions that are common to different groups affected by suicide, regardless of the context, experiences, and means used to commit suicide. The phenomenological description of self-determination experienced in suicide helps to improve the understanding of the suicidal mind, which can be useful in understanding questions that relate to issues such as assisted suicide and suicide prevention. The management of post-suicide consequences, especially the stigma, a cross-cutting challenge for all these groups, benefits from the specialized support of health professionals, either through psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy or support groups.

Suicidal ideation among Bangladeshi university students early during the COVID-19 pandemic: Prevalence estimates and correlates

Lockdown, social isolation, and interruption of daily life during the COVID-19 period have impacted many lives. University students are particularly vulnerable to such disruptions and may be particularly disposed to suicidal ideation, potentially creating a new public health crisis. This study aimed to assess suicidal ideation and associated factors among university students in Bangladesh during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted using the Google form (Google survey tool) from April to May 2020. Initially, 3366 respondents voluntarily completed the survey form. Finally, 3331 surveys were included in the final analyses after removing incomplete surveys. The data ware reviewed, rechecked, and analyzed with SPSS (25.0 version) software. A total of 1979 (59.4%) males and 1352 (40.6%) females participated. Respondents were between the ages of 18 to 28 years (mean age 21.4 years [SD = 1.9]). The prevalence estimate of suicidal ideation was 12.8%. Potential risk factors included less sleep, excess sleep, cigarette smoking, past suicidal thoughts, suicide attempt history, family history of suicidality, depression, anxiety, and stress. Potential protective factors included being male, having lower SES, living in rural areas, regular physical exercise, and satisfactory study. Suicidal ideation was prevalent among Bangladeshi university students during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Understanding the correlates of suicidal ideation may aid to develop targeted strategies to support students during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.