Interrelationships between suicide risk, childhood abuse, depression, hopelessness, and social support in treatment-naïve adolescent depression patients: a network analysis.

BACKGROUND

Suicide caused by depression in adolescents is a major global public health challenge, but the assessment of suicide risk in this population remains inadequate. This study aims to use network analysis to examine the interrelationships between suicide risk, childhood abuse, depression, hopelessness, and social support in treatment-naïve adolescent depression patients.

METHOD: The study included 518 treatment-naïve adolescent depression patients aged 10-18 (393 females and 125 males). General patient information was collected, and assessments were conducted using the Suicidal Behavior Questionnaire, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Self-Rating Depression Scale, Adolescent Social Support Scale, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and Beck Hopelessness Scale. Network analysis was performed using R language to examine the correlations between various factors, and the centrality and stability of the network structure were tested.

RESULTS

In this network structure, emotional abuse showed the strongest edge with suicide risk. Furthermore, hopelessness, sleep duration, and depression were also linked to suicide risk.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood trauma experiences, especially emotional abuse, are strongly associated with suicide risk in treatment-naïve adolescent depression patients.

TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study has been registered with the China Clinical Trials Registry in (Registration No. ChiCTR2200064623; Registration Status: Prospective registration)13/10/2022. URL: https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=175865 .