Suicidal Crisis among Children and Young People: Associations with Adverse Childhood Experiences and Socio-Demographic Factors

Abstract

Suicide is a major public health issue and a leading cause of death among children and young people (CYP) worldwide. There is strong evidence linking adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) to an increased risk of suicidal behaviours in adults, but there is limited understanding regarding ACEs and suicidal crises in CYP. This study aims to examine the ACEs associated with CYP presenting at Emergency Departments for suicidal crises, and specifically the factors associated with repeat attendances. This is a case series study of CYP (aged 8–16) experiencing suicidal crisis who presented in a paediatric Emergency Department in England between March 2019 and March 2021 (n = 240). The dataset was subjected to conditional independence graphical analysis. Results revealed a significant association between suicidal crisis and several ACEs. Specifically, evidence of clusters of ACE variables suggests two distinct groups of CYP associated with experiencing a suicidal crisis: those experiencing “household risk” and those experiencing “parental risk”. Female sex, history of self-harm, mental health difficulties, and previous input from mental health services were also associated with repeat hospital attendances. Findings have implications for early identification of and intervention with children who may be at a heightened risk for ACEs and associated suicidal crises.