![]() The detention center served a county with a population of 1.3 million and housed both pre- and post-adjudicated youths with various alleged offenses including personal, property, drug, public order, and unruly offenses. The racial/ethnic distribution of the population included 75.2% African Americans, 20.7% whites, 3.9% Hispanics, 0.1% Asians, and 0.1% others. Seventy-six percent of the adolescents entering the facility were male. Briefly, during the intake process at the facility between 20, adolescents were asked to participate in a voluntary, anonymous survey of risk and protective factors for adverse health outcomes. The study population and methods for data collection have been previously described. Participants in the study were adolescents processed at a juvenile detention facility in an urban area in Ohio. ![]() Understanding the influence of various risk factors on suicide ideation and attempt among adolescents in juvenile justice facilities has implications for developing appropriate screening tools and intervention programs aimed at suicide prevention. To our knowledge, this is one of the largest epidemiologic studies to assess the influence of multiple adverse life experiences (sexual abuse, homelessness, running away, and substance abuse in the family) on suicide ideation and suicide attempt among male and female adolescents at an urban juvenile detention facility in the U.S. However, major limitations of these studies include the limited adverse life experiences studied and the small sample sizes, especially for females. In previous studies, sexual abuse, exposure to violence, and housing stress have been reported as potential risk factors for suicide ideation and attempt among incarcerated adolescents, ,,. Only a limited number of studies have assessed the role of adverse life experiences on suicidal behaviors in incarcerated adolescents. Therefore, screening at intake to a juvenile justice facility to identify individuals at a high risk of suicide is important for suicide prevention among these vulnerable youths. Moreover, being in juvenile detention is itself a highly stressful event that may increase the risk of suicide among these adolescents. Adolescents in juvenile detention often have higher rates of risk factors for suicide including substance abuse, mental disorders, trauma, and stressful life events than the general population youths. Risk factors for suicide and suicidal behaviors in incarcerated adolescents include: mental disorders (borderline personality disorder traits affective disorders substance use disorders post-traumatic stress disorder anxiety social phobia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder), ,, ,, ,, ,, , female gender, , race, impulsivity, anger, a tendency to act out, younger age and perceived negative parenting. ![]() Adolescent suicide and suicidal behaviors, therefore, are of special interest for the juvenile detainee population. adolescents in juvenile detention facilities, the estimates of the lifetime prevalence of suicide ideation range from 22.0% to 58.3% and of a lifetime suicide attempt range from 11.0% to 33.0%, ,. Similarly, rates of suicidal behaviors (ideation, plan and attempt) also tend to be higher among incarcerated adolescents than general population adolescents. Suicide is the leading cause of death among adolescents in juvenile detention facilities, with rates 3 to 18 times higher than the age-matched general population adolescents. Therefore, completed suicides are only a fraction of the larger public health concern of suicide and suicidal behaviors among adolescents. In addition, there are non-fatal attempts that result in an injury that requires medical attention. ![]() For every completed suicide many more adolescents seriously think about attempting suicide ( suicide ideation), make a plan to attempt suicide ( suicide plan), and actually attempt suicide one or more times ( suicide attempt). In 2010, 1,926 adolescents aged 10–19 years died as a result of suicide, making it the third leading cause of death among adolescents in the United States (U.S.).
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