Journal
CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT
Volume 139, Issue -, Pages -Publisher
PERGAMON-ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2022.105490
Keywords
Suicide ideation; Suicide attempt; Street situation; Sexual abuse; Crack
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The aim of this study was to measure the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts among street-involved youth in southern Brazil and identify associated factors. The results showed a prevalence of suicide attempts at 16.3% and a frequency of suicidal ideation at 30.9%. Factors independently associated with suicide attempts included age (19-21 years old), reduced ties with school and family, experience of sexual abuse, and lifetime use of crack. Strengthening the ties between street-involved youth and school and family through public policies could help reduce their vulnerability to threats like sexual abuse and drug use, ultimately decreasing suicide attempts.
Objective: To measure the prevalence of suicidal ideation and attempts as well as suicide attempts' associated factors among street-involved youth in southern Brazil. Participants and setting: Cross-sectional study was conducted with street-involved adolescents and children from Porto Alegre and Rio Grande, Brazil. Methods: A respondent-driven sampling strategy was used to access this hard-to-reach population quickly and efficiently. Descriptive, bivariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted, with the latter being binary logistic regression. Results: The prevalence of suicide attempts was 16.3%, while the frequency of suicidal ideation was 30.9%. Most participants were male, aged between 16 and 18 years, with no ties to school and family. Almost half of the sample had been in a street situation for five years or more, and two-thirds reported spending more than seven hours a day on the streets. Variables independently associated with suicide attempts were aged 19-21 years old, with reduced ties with school and family, having had an experience of sexual abuse, and lifetime use of crack. Conclusions: Public policies targeting the strengthening ties of street-involved children, adoles-cents, and youth with school and family might reduce their vulnerability to threats, such as sexual abuse and use of crack, and hence focus on decreasing suicide attempts.
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