Predictors of suicide ideation and risk for HIV among juvenile offenders in Georgia

Abstract

Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine self-reported thoughts of suicide, HIV risk behaviors and history of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in a sample of adolescent juvenile offenders in Georgia. Participants were 2260 juvenile offenders housed at selected youth development campuses (YDCs) in the state of Georgia. Self-reported measures of suicide ideation, HIV risk, and past occurrence of STIs were collected. Significance tests were conducted using univariate logistic regressions to examine the independent associations of lifetime self-reported thoughts of suicide and dichotomized HIV risk behaviour correlates prior to incarceration. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were presented. Significant differences were observed between juveniles in several factors for increased risk, including having been previously incarcerated (p<0.04), having had more than five alcoholic drinks in the same day (p<0.007), and having performed oral sex (p<0.028). We suggest that interventions for juvenile offenders that report thoughts of suicide, and that focus on HIV risk reduction should be developed based on the consideration of targeting factors that increase risk to specific STIs.