Detecting the risk of suicidal-related behaviours in teenagers by means of combined personality dimensions

Abstract

Suicide is one of the main causes of death among teenagers (World Health Organization; WHO, 2019). Suicidal-related behaviour (SRB) (suicidal ideation and suicidal intent/self-harm behavior) is one of the main risk factors for suicide. Hence the importance of detecting predictive variables of SRB. The main purpose of this study was to analyze the association and explanatory power that combined dimensions of personality in comparison with uncombined dimensions in relation to SRB. Participants were 1027 teenagers (girls 62.2%) aged between 13 and 18 (mean age = 15.59; SD = 1.29). Personality dimensions were assessed with the Big Five Inventory and the SRB with the Youth Self Report. Neuroticism combined with the remaining personality dimensions, is associated with better predictions of SRB than the uncombined dimensions. The relative risk (RR) of SRB combining personality dimensions were high (RR = 10 in some of these combinations) and the explanatory power of some of them reaches 23%. The role of the Openness dimension in relation to SRB is discussed, a role that until now has had little consensus in the scientific literature. In conclusion, taking into account several personality dimensions simultaneously is a useful approach to identify adolescents with a higher risk of reporting behaviour associated with suicidality. Likewise, these results will assist in the development of preventive and intervention policies.