Vulnerability and resiliency to suicidal behaviours in young people Fergusson, D.M. (David Murray); Beautrais, Annette L.; Horwood, Leonard John
Material type:
- 1469-8978
This study investigated a birth cohort of 1,265 New Zealand-born young people's vulnerability and resiliency to suicidal behaviours during depressive episodes over a 21-year-period. The study followed the birth cohort, collecting data at birth, 4 months, 1 year, at annual intervals to age 16 years, and at ages 18 and 21 years. Sample size varied over the 21 years from 881 to 1,025. The authors point out that this variability may influence results due to sample selection bias. The three principal aims of the study were to record links between depression, suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in adolescence and young adulthood (15-21 years); to explore potential resiliency and vulnerability factors to suicidal behaviours such as family socio-economic status and living standards, school achievement and truancy, and peer attachment and deviant peer affiliations; and to develop statistical models of vulnerability/resiliency. The findings of the study identify that participants fitting the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) IV" criteria for depression had higher rates of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts than participants who did not meet clinical criteria for major depression. Even so, the majority of participants meeting the DSM-IV criteria did not develop suicidal behaviours. The authors suggest that factors of vulnerability and resiliency or protective factors may therefore play an important part in whether or not a young person will develop suicidal behaviours.
Psychological Medicine 33(1) January 2003 : 61-73