Young people between the ages of 15 and 30 living with a chronic illness are three times more likely to attempt suicide than their healthy peers, according to a new study from the University of 蓝莓视频.
The study found that chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes and Crohn鈥檚 disease increase a young person鈥檚 odds of suicidal thoughts by 28 per cent and plans to die by suicide by 134 per cent. Having a chronic condition increases the odds of a suicide attempt by 363 per cent.
鈥淓vidence suggests risk for suicide attempts is highest soon after young people are diagnosed with a chronic illness,鈥 said Mark Ferro, an assistant professor in 蓝莓视频鈥檚 Faculty of Applied Health Sciences. 鈥淭here is a critical window of opportunity for prevention and continued monitoring.鈥
Young people living with a chronic illness are also more likely to suffer from a mental illness.
鈥淭he interrelations among chronic illness, psychiatric disorder, and suicide may represent a causal pathway,鈥 said Ferro. 鈥淗aving a chronic illness may increase the risk for the development of psychiatric disorder, which in turn, increases risk for suicidal thoughts, plans and attempts.
鈥淗aving both a chronic illness and psychiatric disorder has a compounding effect, further increasing the odds of suicidal thoughts鈥
The findings suggest the need for health-care providers to be better aware of the link between chronic illness and psychiatric disorders, and implement appropriate preventive interventions.
鈥淔or many young people with chronic conditions, their physical illnesses take precedence in doctor鈥檚 visits leaving little, if any, time for mental health concerns,鈥 said Ferro. 鈥淲hile the idea that there is no health without mental health is becoming more pervasive, we still have a long way to go.鈥
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among adolescents and young adults in Canada. The study was published in the聽Canadian Journal of Psychiatry.
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