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Symptoms and Diagnoses Prior to Suicide in Children and Young Adults—A Swedish Medical Record Review

Hansson, Anna-Lena LU ; Johnsson, Per LU ; Eberhard, Sophia LU ; Bergqvist, Erik LU orcid ; Fröding Saric, Elin ; Karlsson, Linda ; Lindström, Sara LU orcid ; Waern, Margda and Westrin, Åsa LU (2026) In International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 23(1). p.1-15
Abstract
Suicide in children and young adults is a leading cause of premature mortality, and there is a need to develop a more profound understanding of the factors that contribute to these deaths. This study is part of the nationwide Retrospective Investigation of Health Care Utilization in Individuals who died by Suicide in Sweden 2015, conducted at Lund University, Sweden. The aim was to examine symptoms and diagnoses in children and young adults who died by suicide, as documented in their medical records at their last visits for primary care, somatic specialist care, or psychiatric care 24 months prior to suicide, and to apply contemporary psychological research in youth suicidality to the findings to formulate clinical implications. The... (More)
Suicide in children and young adults is a leading cause of premature mortality, and there is a need to develop a more profound understanding of the factors that contribute to these deaths. This study is part of the nationwide Retrospective Investigation of Health Care Utilization in Individuals who died by Suicide in Sweden 2015, conducted at Lund University, Sweden. The aim was to examine symptoms and diagnoses in children and young adults who died by suicide, as documented in their medical records at their last visits for primary care, somatic specialist care, or psychiatric care 24 months prior to suicide, and to apply contemporary psychological research in youth suicidality to the findings to formulate clinical implications. The proportions of symptoms and diagnoses in children (0–17 years), young adults (18–24 years), males, and females are described. The main symptoms noted in the cohort were depressive symptoms (28%), anxiety symptoms (26%), and pain (25%). The diagnoses predominately covered mental and behavioural disorders, and the most frequent of the mental and behavioural diagnoses were neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (32%) and mood (affective) disorders (29%). The diagnoses and symptoms were not sufficient to uncover suicidality in children and young adults. The clinical implications for alternative assessments and preventive interventions are discussed. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Suicide in children and young adults is a leading cause of premature mortality, and there is a need to develop a more profound understanding of the factors that contribute to these deaths. This study is part of the nationwide Retrospective Investigation of Health Care Utilization in Individuals who died by Suicide in Sweden 2015, conducted at Lund University, Sweden. The aim was to examine symptoms and diagnoses in children and young adults who died by suicide, as documented in their medical records at their last visits for primary care, somatic specialist care, or psychiatric care 24 months prior to suicide, and to apply contemporary psychological research in youth suicidality to the findings to formulate clinical implications. The... (More)
Suicide in children and young adults is a leading cause of premature mortality, and there is a need to develop a more profound understanding of the factors that contribute to these deaths. This study is part of the nationwide Retrospective Investigation of Health Care Utilization in Individuals who died by Suicide in Sweden 2015, conducted at Lund University, Sweden. The aim was to examine symptoms and diagnoses in children and young adults who died by suicide, as documented in their medical records at their last visits for primary care, somatic specialist care, or psychiatric care 24 months prior to suicide, and to apply contemporary psychological research in youth suicidality to the findings to formulate clinical implications. The proportions of symptoms and diagnoses in children (0–17 years), young adults (18–24 years), males, and females are described. The main symptoms noted in the cohort were depressive symptoms (28%), anxiety symptoms (26%), and pain (25%). The diagnoses predominately covered mental and behavioural disorders, and the most frequent of the mental and behavioural diagnoses were neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (32%) and mood (affective) disorders (29%). The diagnoses and symptoms were not sufficient to uncover suicidality in children and young adults. The clinical implications for alternative assessments and preventive interventions are discussed. (Less)
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author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
volume
23
issue
1
article number
105
pages
1 - 15
publisher
MDPI AG
ISSN
1660-4601
DOI
10.3390/ijerph23010105
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
fd776b24-2b72-4b5e-8e15-7805c3e98e7a
date added to LUP
2026-01-14 13:45:48
date last changed
2026-01-15 07:13:39
@article{fd776b24-2b72-4b5e-8e15-7805c3e98e7a,
  abstract     = {{Suicide in children and young adults is a leading cause of premature mortality, and there is a need to develop a more profound understanding of the factors that contribute to these deaths. This study is part of the nationwide Retrospective Investigation of Health Care Utilization in Individuals who died by Suicide in Sweden 2015, conducted at Lund University, Sweden. The aim was to examine symptoms and diagnoses in children and young adults who died by suicide, as documented in their medical records at their last visits for primary care, somatic specialist care, or psychiatric care 24 months prior to suicide, and to apply contemporary psychological research in youth suicidality to the findings to formulate clinical implications. The proportions of symptoms and diagnoses in children (0–17 years), young adults (18–24 years), males, and females are described. The main symptoms noted in the cohort were depressive symptoms (28%), anxiety symptoms (26%), and pain (25%). The diagnoses predominately covered mental and behavioural disorders, and the most frequent of the mental and behavioural diagnoses were neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders (32%) and mood (affective) disorders (29%). The diagnoses and symptoms were not sufficient to uncover suicidality in children and young adults. The clinical implications for alternative assessments and preventive interventions are discussed.}},
  author       = {{Hansson, Anna-Lena and Johnsson, Per and Eberhard, Sophia and Bergqvist, Erik and Fröding Saric, Elin and Karlsson, Linda and Lindström, Sara and Waern, Margda and Westrin, Åsa}},
  issn         = {{1660-4601}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{01}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{1--15}},
  publisher    = {{MDPI AG}},
  series       = {{International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health}},
  title        = {{Symptoms and Diagnoses Prior to Suicide in Children and Young Adults—A Swedish Medical Record Review}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph23010105}},
  doi          = {{10.3390/ijerph23010105}},
  volume       = {{23}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}