Table 1.
Demographic, social and clinical characteristics of children and young people who died by suicide, by gender (2014–2016)
| Data items | Boys (n = 388) | Girls (n = 156) | Total (n = 544) | Univariate analyses | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unadjusted OR | 95% CI | P | Adjusted ORa | 95% CI | P | |||||||
| Sociodemographic | ||||||||||||
| Age, median (range) | 18 | (11–19) | 17 | (12–19) | 18 | (11–19) | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Black, Asian and minority ethnic group, n (%) | 28 | (7) | 19 | (12) | 47 | (9) | 1.78 | 0.96–3.30 | 0.07 | 1.82 | 0.96–3.42 | 0.07 |
| LGBT and uncertain, n (%) | 18 | (5) | 14 | (9) | 32 | (6) | 2.03 | 0.98–4.18 | 0.06 | 1.80 | 0.85–3.81 | 0.12 |
| School pupil/student, n (%) | 179 | (46) | 96 | (62) | 275 | (51) | 1.87 | 1.28–2.73 | 0.001 | 1.62 | 1.05–2.51 | 0.03 |
| Employed (including apprenticeship), n (%) | 94 | (24) | 21 | (13) | 115 | (21) | 0.49 | 0.29–0.82 | 0.006 | 0.63 | 0.36–1.09 | 0.10 |
| Living alone, n (%) | 19 | (5) | 8 | (5) | 27 | (5) | 1.05 | 0.45–2.45 | 0.91 | 1.13 | 0.47–2.72 | 0.79 |
| Socially isolated (i.e. no or very few friends), n (%) | 50 | (13) | 21 | (13) | 71 | (13) | 1.05 | 0.61–1.82 | 0.86 | 0.91 | 0.52–1.61 | 0.76 |
| Family (parent/carer/sibling) factors, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Mental illness | 44 | (11) | 36 | (23) | 80 | (15) | 2.35 | 1.44–3.82 | 0.001 | 1.74 | 1.04–2.91 | 0.04 |
| Physical illness | 26 | (7) | 20 | (13) | 46 | (8) | 2.05 | 1.11–3.79 | 0.02 | 1.56 | 0.82–2.96 | 0.17 |
| Substance misuse | 27 | (7) | 17 | (11) | 44 | (8) | 1.64 | 0.86–3.09 | 0.13 | 1.20 | 0.62–2.34 | 0.59 |
| Witnessing domestic violence | 17 | (4) | 19 | (12) | 36 | (7) | 3.03 | 1.53–5.99 | 0.001 | 2.41 | 1.19–4.88 | 0.02 |
| Abuse and neglect, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Abuse (physical, emotional, sexual) | 25 | (6) | 25 | (16) | 50 | (9) | 2.77 | 1.54–5.00 | 0.001 | 2.01 | 1.08–3.72 | 0.03 |
| Neglect | 14 | (4) | 9 | (6) | 23 | (4) | 1.64 | 0.69–3.86 | 0.26 | 1.25 | 0.51–3.04 | 0.62 |
| Experience of bereavement, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Bereaved | 82 | (21) | 52 | (33) | 134 | (25) | 1.87 | 1.24–2.82 | 0.003 | 1.71 | 1.12–2.62 | 0.01 |
| Bereaved by suicide | 27 | (7) | 24 | (15) | 51 | (9) | 2.43 | 1.35–4.36 | 0.003 | 2.40 | 1.31–4.40 | 0.004 |
| Bullying, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Bullying (any) | 56 | (14) | 46 | (29) | 102 | (19) | 2.48 | 1.59–3.87 | <0.001 | 1.89 | 1.18–3.02 | 0.008 |
| Face-to-face bullying | 48 | (12) | 41 | (26) | 89 | (16) | 2.53 | 1.58–4.03 | <0.001 | 1.93 | 1.18–3.14 | 0.009 |
| Academic pressures, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Academic pressures overall | 106 | (27) | 68 | (44) | 174 | (32) | 2.06 | 1.40–3.03 | <0.001 | 1.54b | 1.00–2.38 | 0.05 |
| Current or impending exams or exam results | 41 | (11) | 37 | (24) | 78 | (14) | 2.63 | 1.61–4.30 | <0.001 | 2.04b | 1.20–3.49 | 0.009 |
| Internet use, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Suicide-related internet use (any) | 78 | (20) | 50 | (32) | 128 | (24) | 1.87 | 1.23–2.85 | 0.003 | 1.52 | 0.98–2.36 | 0.06 |
| Searching for information on suicide method | 44 | (11) | 24 | (15) | 68 | (13) | 1.42 | 0.83–2.43 | 0.12 | 1.17 | 0.67–2.04 | 0.59 |
| Posting suicidal ideas on social media | 36 | (9) | 21 | (13) | 57 | (10) | 1.52 | 0.86–2.70 | 0.15 | 1.33 | 0.73–2.42 | 0.35 |
| Online bullying | 14 | (4) | 15 | (10) | 29 | (5) | 2.85 | 1.34–6.04 | 0.007 | 2.17 | 0.99–4.73 | 0.05 |
| Visiting websites that may encourage suicide | 11 | (3) | 5 | (3) | 16 | (3) | 1.13 | 0.39–3.32 | 0.82 | 0.97 | 0.32–2.91 | 0.95 |
| Medical history, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Physical health condition | 105 | (27) | 59 | (38) | 164 | (30) | 1.64 | 1.11–2.43 | 0.01 | 1.56 | 1.04–2.34 | 0.03 |
| Excessive alcohol use | 85 | (22) | 32 | (21) | 117 | (22) | 0.92 | 0.58–1.45 | 0.72 | 0.89 | 0.55–1.43 | 0.62 |
| Illicit drug use | 153 | (39) | 43 | (28) | 196 | (36) | 0.58 | 0.39–0.88 | 0.01 | 0.54 | 0.35–0.83 | 0.006 |
| Self-harm and suicidal ideas, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Previous self-harm | 159 | (41) | 108 | (69) | 267 | (49) | 3.24 | 2.18–4.91 | <0.001 | 2.89 | 1.90–4.41 | <0.001 |
| Self-harm by cutting | 66 | (17) | 53 | (34) | 119 | (22) | 2.51 | 1.64–3.84 | <0.001 | 2.08 | 1.34–3.23 | 0.001 |
| Self-harm by overdose | 41 | (11) | 37 | (24) | 78 | (14) | 2.63 | 1.61–4.30 | <0.001 | 2.54 | 1.51–4.25 | <0.001 |
| Serious recent episode of self-harm (requiring medical treatment) | 47 | (12) | 47 | (30) | 94 | (17) | 3.13 | 1.98–4.95 | <0.001 | 3.09 | 1.89–5.06 | <0.001 |
| Suicidal intent/ideas | 217 | (56) | 107 | (69) | 324 | (60) | 1.72 | 1.16–2.55 | 0.007 | 1.38 | 0.91–2.10 | 0.13 |
| Primary diagnosis, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Any diagnosis of mental illness | 136 | (35) | 81 | (52) | 217 | (40) | 2.00 | 1.37–2.92 | <0.001 | 2.18 | 1.48–3.12 | <0.001 |
| Affective disorder (bipolar disorder and depression) | 61 | (16) | 40 | (26) | 101 | (19) | 1.85 | 1.18–2.90 | 0.008 | 1.20 | 0.69–2.09 | 0.53 |
| Anxiety/obsessive–compulsive/post-traumatic stress disorder | 23 | (6) | 12 | (8) | 35 | (6) | 1.32 | 0.64–2.73 | 0.45 | 0.87 | 0.40–1.88 | 0.73 |
| Recent events, n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Relationship breakup | 75 | (19) | 41 | (26) | 116 | (21) | 1.49 | 0.96–2.30 | 0.07 | 1.47 | 0.94–2.30 | 0.09 |
| Relationship problems | 94 | (24) | 54 | (35) | 148 | (27) | 1.66 | 1.11–2.48 | 0.01 | 1.88 | 1.24–2.87 | 0.003 |
| Housing problems | 56 | (14) | 24 | (15) | 80 | (15) | 1.08 | 0.64–1.81 | 0.78 | 1.07 | 0.63–1.84 | 0.80 |
| Workplace problems | 68 | (18) | 15 | (10) | 83 | (15) | 0.50 | 0.28–0.91 | 0.02 | 0.52 | 0.28–0.96 | 0.04 |
| Service contact (at any time), n (%) | ||||||||||||
| Any service contact | 214 | (55) | 115 | (74) | 329 | (60) | 2.28 | 1.52–3.43 | <0.001 | 1.86 | 1.19–2.94 | 0.007 |
| Mental health services | 151 | (39) | 90 | (58) | 241 | (44) | 2.14 | 1.47–3.12 | <0.001 | 1.75 | 1.10–2.79 | 0.02 |
| Social care or local authority services | 50 | (13) | 49 | (31) | 99 | (18) | 3.10 | 1.97–4.85 | <0.001 | 2.58 | 1.62–4.10 | <0.001 |
| Youth Offending Team or local police force | 104 | (27) | 49 | (31) | 153 | (28) | 1.25 | 0.83–1.88 | 0.28 | 1.06 | 0.69–1.61 | 0.80 |
| Looked after child, n (%) | 21 | (5) | 21 | (13) | 42 | (8) | 2.72 | 1.44–5.14 | 0.002 | 2.51 | 1.30–4.83 | 0.006 |
LGBT, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
a.
Adjusted by age and presence of a diagnosis.
b.
Adjusted by age, gender, presence of a diagnosis, and being in education (i.e. were a school pupil/student).