Adolescent Suicide in Australia

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Table of Contents

Introduction
Purpose of the Study
Research Methods
Key Findings
Limitations of the Study
Major Conclusions from the Study
References

Introduction

This assignment will provide an introductory-level analysis of the peer-reviewed evidence-based academic article in healthcare. The chosen article refers to the topic of adolescent suicide and its intersection with teenage age, sex, and other possible triggers such as mental health issues and stress factors. The paper will disclose the purpose of the study, its research methods, key findings, limitations of the study, and major conclusions.

Purpose of the Study

The retrospective study based on the completed suicide cases in Australia among 10-19-year-old teenagers aimes to compare psychological and demographic characteristics of the cases between adolescents of younger and older age, males, and females. The purpose of the study is to investigate, based on existing data from Australian literature, the interconnections between not only age but also sex in adolescent suicide (Lee et al., 2019). The research question is to investigate if completed suicide in younger and older teenagers, males, and females, is diverse in reasons and background, or it has no connection with demographic and psychological characteristics. The study hypothesizes that there are dissimilarities in the features of completed suicide between various teenage ages and sex.

Research Methods

The analyzed study is quantitative, and it uses secondary data to realize a retrospective assessment of the suicide cases in Australia. The design method is observational as it does not interfere with gathered data but reviews it post factum. The retrospective is proven by assessment of previously completed cases of suicide. As for methods for data collection, the researchers analyzed suicide deaths reported to the Coroners Court of Victoria (CCOV) over ten years: from January 1, 2006, until December 31, 2015, with the age of the deceased between 10 and 19 years. This method of data gathering is relevant to the research question as it provides official data on completed suicide cases among teenagers in Australia. CCOV cases disclose the orientation of the deceased, history of any previously diagnosed mental disorders, suicide attempts, their occupation, information about the suicide method, and additional stressors that could have triggered the decision of suicide.

The gathered information is quantitative as it can be measured in numerical values regarding the number of cases committed by females, by males; the number of deceased with diagnosed mental health illnesses, and without. The method used in the study has its weaknesses as it is based on secondary data which can be questioned in its quality and reliability. Even though CCOV is an official resource and a detailed database, some information in cases has to rely on the report of family members and close friends. The latter cannot exclude the impact of emotional factors, and posttraumatic stress on their estimation of the situation.

Information analysis was using descriptive and inferential statistic methods with the help of Stata software. Data were summarized in frequency tables having information about deceased individuals and percentages. Differences in proportions between the groups were compared with the use of chi-square for equal proportions or Fisher’s exact tests (if numbers were small). The confidence interval was taken at 95%, and p-values < 0.05 indicated statistical significance. Using chi-square is a reliable and one of the most popular inferential statistics methods and is appropriate for probability calculations. In the current study, the probability of demographic and psychological factors is observed among young and older-aged adolescents, males, and females. A potential weakness of the data analysis method is the absence of the community control group. If the results of the investigation are significantly different from the survivor population, the findings cannot be relied on, and they are not applicable.

The key demographics of the population sampled are the age between 10 and 19. The cases were divided into younger adolescents age (10-16) and older ages (17-19 years old). The inclusion criteria were the completed suicide reported to CCOV demonstrating the prevalence of possible suicide associations and risk factors in the community. The exclusion criteria, consequently, were the cases with deceased of other ages, and cases with the unclear prevalence of possible suicide associations and risk factors in society.

Key Findings

The results of the study state that, during the estimated period, suicide deaths were dichotomized at the ages 13-16 and 17-19. Out of 273 cases, 102 (37%) suicide deaths were in the younger group and 171 (63%) in the older group. Male cases were 184 (67%) and female 89 (33%); suicide counts by age and suicide rates were presented in the figures. Investigating psychological and risk factors, the authors identified that 40% of cases had a diagnosed mental health disorder not significantly depending on age or sex. 57% of the individuals with diagnosed mental health illness have had at least one previous suicide attempt compared to those without any history of mental disorders (22%). 87% of deceased had experienced at least one major stress factor before death. The researchers provide the p-value nearby all the statements, and all the values lower 0.05 rate was valued as statistically significant. However, the study does not provide a comparative analysis of the two groups, and it is impossible to estimate the results of the study with a control group.

Limitations of the Study

Apart from mentioned above limitations, the population of the study is also a source of some obstacles. For instance, the stressors that most possibly impacted the death of teenagers were taken into consideration within the last 6 months before suicide. However, some factors could have impacted the individual longer or played a less significant role in suicide decision-making. The true reasons and the role of stress factors can only be approximately guessed and assumed; however, never known for sure. Sample size (n=273) may be another limitation to the research as, within 10 years, the reasons for suicide and major mental health pathologies could have changed, been variously diagnosed, and been treated. The number of cases can be statistically significant; nevertheless, it is hard to estimate the differences in mental health diagnostics and the shifts in pharmacological approaches to teenage psychological and psychiatric disorders.

Inferential statistics, used as the type of statistical analysis in this article, allows to estimate descriptive data and helps get explanations and suggest solutions for the studied issue. On the other side, inferential statistics is not accurate as it refers to sampling data that was not fully measured by a researcher. A retrospective observational study has its limitations as well, and, majorly, it is the accuracy of the data gathered in the past. The researcher cannot control the information synthesized from the past, he can only rely on the previous individuals’ work.

Major Conclusions from the Study

Compared to the results from the study by Kõlves and de Leo (2017), the analyzed study has a smaller sample size and studies demographic and psychological factors impacting adolescent suicide. Kõlves and de Leo (2017) used cluster analysis to investigate the suicide methods. The study significantly contributes to the scientific literature as it provides the dichotomy of the age and sex specialties in adolescent suicide. The latter can help, together with other factors investigation, preventive strategies for teenage self-harm and suicide attempts. For instance, considering mental health illness as a risk factor for a suicide attempt, policymakers can develop more strategies to help teenagers with treatment aiming to achieve long remission phases or recovery. Further investigations that are based on this study could study more thoroughly the spectrum of mental health disorders to identify the most significant ones related to suicide attempts and self-harm.

References

Kõlves, K., & de Leo, D. (2017). Suicide methods in children and adolescents.European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 26(2), 155–164. Web.

Lee, S., Dwyer, J., Paul, E., Clarke, D. Treleaven, S., & Roseby, R. (2019). Difference by age and sex in adolescent suicide.Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 43(3), 248-253. Web.

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