SUICIDAL ADOLESCENTS - LESSONS TO BE LEARNED FROM EARLY INTERVENTION

In France as in most developed countries, suicide is the second leadin g cause of adolescent deaths. Suicide attempts are estimated to be at least 30 times more common than completed suicides. Adolescent suicida l behaviours are a most sensitive subject Fear, defensive attitudes, a nd lack of consensus as to management are detrimental to a good unders tanding of and an appropriate approach to the problems involved. Our a dolescent medicine experience with several hundred adolescent victims of suicide attempt shows that most come from troubled or abusive envir onments, most did not clearly intend to die and are asking for some he lp. Only a minority appear to be mentally ill and need inpatient psych iatric care. These patients are best approached when hospitalized like any other adolescent and offered a thorough health screening, within an integrated and multidisciplinary framework which allows working wit h both the patient and his family.