Who Is At Risk of Dying Young from Suicide and Sudden Violent Death

Course overview

This course is based upon material published in Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior and is available as an open-access article. Objective: Suicides and other sudden violent deaths are the most common causes of death among young people worldwide. This case-control study compared risk factors for suicide and other sudden violent death among young people. Method: A total of 436 psychological autopsy interviews with next of kin were performed. The samples aged 10-25 years included 63 cases of suicide, 62 cases of other sudden violent death, and 104 matched living controls. Two stepwise multiple logistic regression analyses were performed. Results: The number of recent stressful life events was the only common risk factor for suicide and other sudden violent death. Specific risk factors for suicide were any form of addiction and being an inpatient in adult psychiatric care. Specific risk factors for other sudden violent death were lower elementary school results, lower educational level, and abuse of psychoactive drugs. Conclusions: The suicide group seems to have been more vulnerable and exposed to different kinds of stressors, whereas the sudden violent death group seems to have been more acting out and risk-taking. Both groups must be the subject of prevention and intervention programs. This course on risk factors for suicide and other sudden violent deaths is designed for social workers, professional counselors, psychologists, nurses, and substance abuse counselors, who do clinical work. This course is appropriate for intermediate and advanced level practitioners who wish to develop or increase their knowledge of suicide and other sudden violent death. It may also be useful for licensed clinicians who require clinical continuing education courses for license renewal. The course is based on a journal article that includes research. It contains statistical analysis and data that some clinicians enjoy reading and others do not. A major benefit of reading research-based articles for continuing education is they provide practitioners with the latest findings in their field. Authors: Werbart Tornblom, Sorjonen, Runeson, and Rydelius Learning Objectives: This course will provide the practitioner with detailed information regarding suicide and sudden violent death among young people. Specifically, a professional will: Recognize the incidence and prevalence of suicide as a cause of death among young people Describe the risk factors for suicide as a cause of death among young people Identify the risk factors for sudden violent death among young people Citation: Werbart Tornblom, A., et al. (2020). Who Is at Risk of Dying Young from Suicide and Sudden Violent Death? Common and Specific Risk Factors among Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior 50(4).