Suicidal Risk and its Association with Anxiety, Depression and Impulsivity According to Sex in Colombian Adolescents

Suicide is a multicausal phenomenon, with a higher incidence in adolescents. Studies to identify risk factors have increased in recent decades and are useful for prevention and intervention. However, studies rarely examine the effects of multiple psychological factors in predicting suicidal risk. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of anxiety, depression, and impulsivity in the prediction of suicidal risk in adolescents from municipalities in southeastern Antioquia (Colombia). A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional study was conducted with the participation of 354 adolescents between 14 and 18 years of age (M=15.58, SD=1.22; 57.1% female). Plutchik's suicide risk scale (SRS), Beck's depression (BDI) and anxiety (BAI), and Barratt's impulsivity (BIS) were used. A suicidal risk factor of 15.5% and significant correlations were found between SRS, AIS, BDI, BAI, and BIS. Women scored significantly higher than men on suicide risk, depression, and anxiety. Binary regression analysis showed that depression (OR=1.1), anxiety (OR=1), and impulsivity (OR=1.1) explained between 24% (R-2 Cox and Snell) and 42% (R-2 Nagelkerke) of the variance in suicidal risk. It is concluded that in women, impulsivity, when associated with anxious and depressive symptoms, increases the risk of suicide; while for men this risk is greater when it is mainly related to depression and to a lesser extent with anxiety. These findings contribute to the formulation of public policies on suicide prevention in school contexts.