Introduction
Suicide attempts in teenagers represent a major public health issue. Several studies have
been run to determine risk and protective factors specific to this population.
Age related differences have been found but were not conclusive.
The study objectives were to describe socio-demographic and clinical profiles of hospitalized
suicidal teenagers and determine the differences of these profiles between first and second
adolescence.
Methods
We have conducted a retrospective, descriptive and comparative study on files of teenagers,
aged between 1 0 and 1 9 years, hospitalized at the child and adolescent psychiatry
department and adult psychiatry unit “F” of Razi Hospital, for suicide attempt, during a period
going from January 1 st 201 0 to November 1 5th 201 8. We excluded patients with incomplete
files. We used a pre-established card to collect data. This card contained information, related
to socio-demographic characteristics, family environment, family and personal psychiatric
history and suicide attempt characteristics.
Results
Sixty files were selected for this study. Thirty patients were among the first stage of
adolescence; aged between 1 0 and 1 4 years. Thirty patients were among the second stage
of adolescence; aged between 1 5 and 1 9 years. We tried to compile the profile type of a
suicidal teenager.
Mainly, it was a 1 4,3 average year old female adolescent (73%), schooled (66%), with school
failure (52%), single (98%), with medium-low socio-economical level (95%), living in urban
areas (77%), with no entertainment (82%).
Typically, in our sample, the suicide attempt was an impulsive act (82%), by drug poisoning
(63%), committed at home (88%), triggered by conflicts with close relatives (63%); mainly
parents and to a lesser degree brothers and sisters, without serious organic impact (60%),
meaning an assistance claim (37%) or a death desire (33%).
While comparing the two stages of adolescence, we noticed a statistically significant
difference between the two groups, when it comes to schooling, with school decline as of
second stage of adolescence (p=0,01 8). Among family environment characteristics, only
sexual abuse was found to be more prevalent in adolescents of second stage, compared to
those of first stage (p=0,005).
Throughout second adolescence, addictive behaviors (p=0,01 ), smoking (p=0,06) and sexual
intercourse (p=0,006) were significantly more present than in the first adolescence.
The difference of attitude towards the suicide attempt was statistically significant between
the two groups (p=0,001 ), showing an attitude of regret among first stage adolescents and
indifference among the second stage ones.
Likewise, the difference of the attempts’ significance was statistically significant between
the two groups (p=0,046).
Conclusion
Our study enabled to sketch the profile of hospitalized attempters and to highlight certain socio-demographic and clinical particularities of each stage of adolescence.
Mastering these particularities would enable the development of targeted preventive
strategies.

11 - FEATURES OF TEENAGEERS’SUICIDE ATTEMPT: FIRST AND SECOND ADOLESCENCE COMPARISON