Street scars: Suicide ideation and suicide attempt among street-involved adolescents and youth in southern Brazil

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.

Automated summary

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.