To understand the relationships between mental disorders and suicide, a recent systematic review examined 24 longitudinal studies involving 12- to 26-year-olds from eight mostly high-income countries, including Canada. Data on more than 25,000 individuals were combined and analyzed. Young people with mental disorders had more than 10 times greater odds of dying by suicide and more than three times greater odds of attempting suicide than those without these disorders. This systematic review also examined how having more than one mental disorder can increase the risk for suicide attempts. Young people with any concurrent mental disorders had nearly nine times greater odds of attempting suicide than those with no disorder. Among the specific diagnoses, young people with mood disorders, including depression, had 54% higher odds for suicide attempts than those with other disorders.

More information on mental health and suicidality comes from a Canadian study that followed a representative sample of more than 6,700 children from ages 10 to 17. The researchers found that when these young people reached adolescence, those with severe conduct disorder symptoms had more than four times greater odds of attempting suicide than those without these problems. Youth who developed severe depressive symptoms had 61% greater odds of experiencing suicidal ideation, and those who used cannabis at least once or twice a month had 74% higher odds. For more information, see Vol. 17, No. 1 of the Children’s Mental Health Research Quarterly.