Resumen: Non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a behaviour which peaks during adolescence, and is apparently becoming more prevalent among adolescents and young adults. This study examines the risk factors, such as insecure attachment with parents and peers, negative life events and stress, and their relationship with NSSI in adolescents and young adults. The sample included 275 young people (aged 13 – 26), who completed a self-report questionnaire assessing the constructs of interest. Insecure attachment with the mother, father and peers were found to be related to NSSI. Notwithstanding, these relationships were mediated by life events and stress. Individuals reporting more negative life events were also more likely to repeat their NSSI. It may be that negative life events and stress are at least partly an outcome of insecure attachment relationships. Since attachment to peers was found to be important, possible role of peer adolescents in prevention interventions may be implied.

This study investigated the influence of acculturation strategies on suicidal ideation reported by adolescents in the Free State Province, South Africa. This is a mainly rural province with 2.6 million inhabitants (the majority being black, African language speakers and the rest white and mixed race Afrikaans and English speakers). South Africa has undergone vast socio-cultural changes being fostered by the influence of political changes and democratization of society. This has resulted in changes in traditional social role expectations, and an erosion of socio-cultural values. Exposure to this socio-cultural transition increased the risk of self-harming behaviors as adolescents struggle to cope with the combination of individual developmental changes and new socio-cultural exigencies.   A cross-sectional design including a correlational design was used. A random, stratified sample of 1033 secondary school learners was gathered from urban and rural schools in the province. Reynolds’s Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire and the South African Acculturation Scale were used to measure suicidal ideation and the preference for acculturation strategies respectively. A hierarchical regression analysis was conducted to determine the influence of acculturation strategies on suicidal ideation. Significant correlations at the 1% level were found between suicidal ideation and the three acculturation strategies (assimilation, integration and rejection). The choice of acculturation strategies explained a significant percentage of the variance in suicidal ideation for the Afrikaans speaking participants (4.7%; p≤ 0.01), African language speaking participants (2.9%; p≤ 0.01) and the total group (3.0%; p≤ 0.01). Assimilation contributed significantly to the variance in the level of suicidal ideation for the total group (2.0%; p≤ 0.01). Rejection (1.4%; p≤ 0.01) and assimilation (3.0%; p≤ 0.01) respectively were found to contribute significantly to the variance of suicidal ideation for the Afrikaans speaking participants, but not for the English- or African language speaking participants.  Keywords: acculturation strategies, adolescence, assimilation, integration, rejection, suicidal ideation 

Numbers of suicide behaviours among adolescents especially female adolescent is increasing worldwide. The aim of this study is to determine factors related to suicidal attempt among female adolescents. This is a comparison study between groups of respondents admitted to ward due to deliberate self harm (case group) with a group of respondents admitted to ward due to other medical problems (comparison group). Data were collected within a period of six months in HTAR, Klang, Selangor using guided questionnaire. Questions related to sociodemographic, family background, relation with spouse and media influence are self constructed. Instruments used are Beck Scale Ideation (BSI) for measurement of suicide ideation, Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS) for hopelessness, Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21 (DASS 21) for emotional and psychological disturbance, Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale (RSES) for self esteem and Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS) for coping skills. Study result found that 77.5% respondents of case group had suicidal ideation compared to respondents of comparison group (35.0%). A total of 75.7% of respondents of case group considered that suicidal behaviour is one of the ways to problem solve. There are significant relationships (P<0.05) between deliberate self harm among female adolescent with non Malay races, abused experience, low self esteem, hopelessness, emotional and psychological disturbances (stress, anxiety, depression), had sexual intercourse with spouse, exposure of non-Malay, staying away from parents, media exposure, stress, non-productive coping religiosity (always pray to God). Problems related to adolescents who involved with suicidal behaviours have to be looked into through multidisciplinary (clinical and non-clinical) approach to help them handle their problems positively.

Introducción:el maltrato entre iguales, se trata de un fenómeno presente en todos aquellos contextos de relaciones interpersonales en los que están juntos, de forma más o menos obligatoria, pero relativamente permanente, personas de igual estatus social que se ven obligadas por las circunstancias a compartir escenarios, trabajos, o simples actividades.La violencia que se concreta en malas relaciones interpersonales, falta de respeto, agresividad injustificada, prepotencia y malos tratos de unos hacia otros, es en sí misma, un fenómeno social y psicológico: social y psicológico, porque afecta te a los individuos que se ven envueltos en este tipo de problemas Objetivos: Conocer la relación que existe entre el maltrato entre iguales, psicopatología  e intento suicida en adolescentes escolarizados Metodo: Se aplicó a 723 adolescentes de bachillerato, un cuestionario que exploró : datos generales, antecedente de intento suicida, escalas  (Lickert) que evalúan dificultades escolares, en dos sentidos relativos a su desempeño académico y la relación con sus compañeros, indagando por cada acción concreta de maltrato escolar; psicopatología, ideas y pensamientos suicidas, soledad, aislamiento. De acuerdo a la puntuación obtenida se clasificaron en dos niveles alto y bajo. Los adolescentes con niveles altos  en  escala de dificultades escolares fueron considerados como víctimas. Para medir la fuerza de asociación con las variables estudiadas se consideró como tal cuando el OR fue mayor de 1 y el IC no incluyera la unidad Resultados: Las dificultades escolares se  asociaron con significancia estadística con: intento suicida (OR 3.02 IC=1.95-8.22) Ideas y pensamientos suicidas (OR 6.23 =IC 2.22-16.98); sentimientos de soledad y abandono (OR 12.16 IC= 4.35- 33.4); Aislamiento (OR 6.57 IC= 2.33- 17.9)  y con psicopatología y sus dimensiones Conclusiones: Las experiencias de victimización  ponen  al adolescente en mayor situación de riesgo de sufrir desajustes psicosociales y trastornos psicopatológicos.

Every Swiss male has a military firearm at home from age 18. In Switzerland, the firearm is the first suicide method for man from 18 to 34 (Federal Office of Statistic, 2004); Switzerland also has one of the most liberal civil firearm possession rule. With the United States of America, Switzerland has one of the highest suicide rates by the use of firearm. The scientific literature is almost unanimous on this matter: reducing access to means of suicide has the effect to reduce the number of suicides in total. Most scientific studies show that effect also with firearms. Literature is also very largely saying that this effect might be even greater by young people, who quite mostly react in the instant and a longer “distance” to the mean would allow a suicide prevention. A majority of literature also shows that most people having committed suicide with a firearm or having committed murder do not present, neither any violent activity before their act, nor psychiatric troubles. In Switzerland, the debate about this topic has become very active in the public, since a Referendum will be held in 2011. All suicide prevention groups, women organisations and most civil society and some political parties have created a coalition in favour of a reduction of the access to firearms, with the aim to reduce the number of suicides and of killings. STOP SUICIDE could bring knowledge on the scientific literature and can illustrate the Swiss case, which is so particular. STOP SUICIDE could also talk more specifically about the particular situation of youth suicide prevention through the reduction of the access to suicide means. Abstract based on the publication: Florian Irminger, “Plädoyer”, 6/07, December 2007 (see: http://www.stopsuicide.ch/Armes-en-libre-acces-situation) & STOP SUICIDE, “Initiative ‘Protection face à la violence des armes’, October 2007 (see: http://www.stopsuicide.ch/sources/armes/argumentaireSTOPSUICIDE.pdf)