Suicide attempt and self‐mutilation among Turkish high school students in relation with abuse, neglect and dissociation

TLDR

The study surveyed 862 Turkish high‑school students using a questionnaire on abuse, neglect, self‑mutilation, suicide attempts, and the Turkish Dissociative Experiences Scale. The study aims to emphasize that clinicians should thoroughly assess abuse, neglect, and dissociation in suicidal and self‑destructive adolescents. Suicide attempts and self‑mutilation occurred in 10.1% and 21.4% of students, with abused or neglected youth showing 7.6‑fold higher suicide attempts and 2.7‑fold higher self‑mutilation, and dissociation emerging as the strongest predictor in logistic regression.

Abstract

Abstract A questionnaire consisting of items about abuse, neglect, self‐mutilation and suicide attempt and the Turkish Version of the Dissociative Experiences Scale were given to 862 high school students. The rates of suicide attempt and self‐mutilative behaviors were 10.1% and 21.4%, respectively. Abused or neglected groups (34.3%) had 7.6‐fold higher suicide attempts and 2.7‐fold higher self‐mutilation behaviours. The logistic regression model showed that each type of trauma and dissociation contributed to suicide attempts and self‐mutilation, but dissociation was the most powerful. Suicidal and self‐destructive adolescents should precisely be evaluated for abuse, neglect and dissociation in clinical practice.