Alberto Forte1, Massimiliano Orri2,3, Cedric Galera4, Maurizio Pompili1, Gustavo Turecki2, Richard E. Trembley5,6, Sylvana M. Côté3,7; 1Department of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Sensory Organs, Suicide Prevention Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy, 2McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Department of Psychiatry, McGill University, Montreal, Canada, 3Bordeaux Population Health Research Centre, Inserm U1219, Université de Bordeaux, Bordeaux, France, 4Université de Bordeaux, Department of child and adolescent psychiatry, Centre Hospitalier Perrens, Bordeaux, France, 5Departments of Pediatrics and Psychology, University of Montreal, Montreal, Canada, 6School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland, 7Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Montreal, Montreal, Québec, Canada
Background: Hyperactive/inattentive symptoms (HI-s) are associated with suicidal behavior in clinical studies, but there is still a lack of population-based longitudinal investigations on the developmental aspects of this association. Moreover, it is unclear whether the association is similar for boys and girls. Aims: To test the association between the HI-s during childhood and suicidal ideation and attempt during adolescence, and to investigate sex differences. Methods: 1407 children from the Québec Longitudinal Study of Child Development were followed up from 5 months to 17 years of age. We used teacher-reports of HI-s from 6 to 12 years, and self-report of suicidal ideation and attempt at 13, 15, and 17 years. Results: We identified 3 HI-s trajectories: low (boys: 32.2%, girls: 48.7%), moderate (boys: 44.6%; girls: 42.2%) and high (boys: 23.2%; girls: 9.1%). Compared to boys on a low trajectory, boys on a moderate trajectory were at higher risk for suicidal ideation (OR=4.2, 95%CI=1.2-14.8), and boys on a high trajectory were at higher risk for suicide attempts (OR: 4.5, 95%CI: 1.1-17.9). Girls on moderate or high HI-s trajectories were not at higher risk for suicidal ideation or attempts than girls on low trajectories. Conclusions: For boys, but not for girls, moderate-to-high HI-s increased the suicidal risk in adolescence. Interventions with pre-adolescent and adolescent boys showing HI-s symptoms should include a suicide prevention component. Population level suicide prevention for adolescents should particularly target boys with a history of HI-s problems.
