One in five adolescents have suicidal thoughts or anxiety

A global study on mental health has found approximately one in five teenagers experience thoughts of suicide or anxiety.

The University of Queensland study investigated data collected from more than 275,000 adolescents aged between 12-17 years across 82 low, middle and high income countries.

It found 14 per cent of adolescents had suicidal thoughts and 9 per cent had anxiety over a 12-month period. The overall pooled prevalence was approximately one in five.

UQ Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) Life Course Centre PhD student Tuhin Biswas said those at highest risk of experiencing suicidal ideation and anxiety were older teenage girls from low income backgrounds with no close friends.

“Our study shows many adolescents around the world, irrespective of their country’s income status, experience suicidal thoughts and anxiety, but there is high variation between different continental regions,” Mr Biswas said.

“Teenagers from Africa had the highest rates of suicidal thoughts at 21 per cent, while the lowest was in Asia at 8 per cent.

“The highest rate of teenage anxiety, at 17 per cent, was in the Eastern Mediterranean, while Europe had the lowest rate at 4 per cent.”

The research team found that in every country, teens with fewer peer and parental supports and higher levels of parental control were more likely to report thoughts of suicide and anxiety.

The risks were also higher for teens who had experienced peer conflict, victimisation, isolation and loneliness.

The study is based on data collected in the World Health Organization Global School-based Health Surveys between 2003 and 2015.

Participants were asked if they had seriously considered suicide, and if they had been so worried about something that they could not sleep at night.

Professor James Scott, who heads QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute’s Mental Health Program, said adolescent mental health was a major global public health concern.

“Positive relationships with family and friends are crucial to mental health and wellbeing during adolescence, and this study reinforces the importance of those supports,” he said.

UQ ISSR supervising researcher Associate Professor Abdullah Mamun said mental health remained under-reported in many low-to-middle income countries due to social stigma, religious or cultural taboos, and inadequate mental health resources.

“Of the 82 countries that participated in this study, 36 had no specific mental health policy,” Dr Mamum said.

The researchers suggested that school or community-based programs that increase peer connectedness could be used to help reduce rates of anxiety and suicidal ideas.

The team provided recommendations for countries to adopt culturally-appropriate interventions and invest in programs to better support the relationship between parents and their teenage children.

Life Course Centre Director Professor Janeen Baxter said adolescence was a pivotal developmental stage that influenced life-long health and wellbeing.

“This study provides the evidence-base to help identify protective factors and to inform targeted responses in policy and practice,” Professor Baxter said.

The study appears in EClinicalMedicine, published by The Lancet. (DOI:10.1016/j.eclinm.2020.100395).

Collaborators also included Associate Professor Kerim Munir of Harvard Medical School, Professor Andre M.N. Renzaho of Western Sydney University, and Dr Lal Rawal of Central Queensland University.

Media: Matt MacDermott, UQ Life Course Centre, m.macdermott@uq.edu.au, +61 431 066 550; Gail Burke, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute,  Gail.Burke@qimrberghofer.edu.au, + 61 427 179 216.