1 - (OP15) Minors with a History of Suicidal Behavior and Traumatic Events: Current Psychiatric Symptoms and Treatment History

Introduction: There is a relationship between experiencing potentially traumatic events (PTEs) and child and adolescent suicidal behavior (SB). SB is closely associated with depressive symptoms and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as with a history of any psychiatric treatment (HPT), including the use of psychotropic medications. We compared exposure to PTEs, the severity of recent depressive and PTSD symptoms, and HPT between minors with versus without a history of SB, evaluated in a project aimed at treating trauma-related psychopathology.

Method: A total of 140 minors aged 6–17 years (M = 11.76, SD = 3.25) participated, 51.43% of whom were male. Minors with PTEs were classified into two groups: one with a history of SB (G1; n = 44) and one without such history (G2; n = 96). We used a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Children and Adolescent Trauma Screen for caregivers, and the Depression Scale (per DSM-5) of the Child Behavior Checklist or Youth Self-Report according to age (6–10 vs. 11–17 years, respectively). Chi-square tests and Student’s t tests were used to compare groups on the variables of interest. This is research in progress; data collection is ongoing, and additional data may be incorporated.

Results: G1 reported a greater number of lifetime PTEs [t(138) = 2.85, p = .005, d = 0.52] and greater severity of recent PTSD symptoms [t(138) = 3.49, p < .001, d = 0.64] and depression [t(138) = 3.19, p = .002, d = 0.58] than G2. In addition, G1 showed a significantly higher percentage of cases with HPT and a higher rate of psychotropic medication use, particularly antidepressants and anxiolytics, as well as the use of ≥2 medication categories.

Conclusion: These findings confirm a more severe clinical profile in minors with a history of SB who have experienced PTEs and underscore the need for early interventions and comprehensive approaches to address the impact of trauma in this population.
Keywords: suicidal behavior, potentially traumatic events, psychiatric treatment history, pediatric population, psychiatric symptoms