Prevalence and associated factors of suicidality in Japanese adolescents: results from a population-based questionnaire
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RESEARCH ARTICLE
Open Access
Prevalence and associated factors of suicidality in Japanese adolescents: results from a population-based questionnaire survey Shinichiro Nagamitsu1* , Masakazu Mimaki2, Kenshi Koyanagi3, Natsuko Tokita4, Yoriko Kobayashi5, Ritsuko Hattori6, Ryuta Ishii1, Michiko Matsuoka7, Yushiro Yamashita1, Zentaro Yamagata8, Takashi Igarashi9 and Paul E. Croarkin10
Abstract Background: Suicide is the leading cause of death among Japanese adolescents. However, knowledge gaps regarding contemporary demographics and factors associated with suicidality among Japanese adolescents are a major concern. This study examined the prevalence of suicidality among Japanese adolescents and investigated associated factors. Methods: A population-based questionnaire survey investigating general health was administered to 22,419 adolescents aged 13–18 years. The 29-item questionnaire covered emotional status, family function, cyberbullying, suicidality, and stressors (e.g., relationships with parents/friends, school performance, and sexual identity). We conducted multiple logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with suicidality in this population. Results: The prevalence of suicidal ideation was 21.6% in males and 28.5% in females, and that of attempted suicide was 3.5% in males and 6.6% and in females. Bullying and stress related to family relationships had the strongest associations with suicidality. Exposure to cyberbullying had the highest odds ratio for both junior high (3.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.1–4.4) and high school students (3.6, 95% CI 2.5–5.3). Other factors significantly associated with suicidality were sex, emotional status, and stress about relationships with friends, sexual identity, school records, and academic course. Adolescents accessed a variety of resources to cope with stressors, with the Internet being the most common resource consulted. Conclusions: Suicidality is commonly experienced among Japanese adolescents. Although there are many associated risk factors, cyberbullying is of particular concern. Recognition of factors associated with adolescent suicidality will inform further research and suicide prevention efforts for healthcare providers and families. Keywords: Suicide attempts, Adolescent, Child, Suicidal ideation, Cyberbullying
* Correspondence: [email protected] 1 Department of Pediatrics and Child Health, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan Full list of author information is available at the end of the article © The Author(s). 2020 Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence,
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