Behaviors Related to Intentioned Injury and Depression among High School Students

Objective To understand incidence of intentioned injury behaviors among high school students and identify relationship between intentioned injury behaviors and depression symptomatology.Methods A questionaire involving three behaviors related to intentioned injury, suicide ideation, suicide plan,and attempted suicide, was administered among 3157 high school students from Hefei city and rural areas, Anhui province. Current depressive symptoms were assessed with the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale above 20 indicate a diagnosis of depression.Results Suicidal ideation during the 12 months preceding the survey was reported by 16.2%, 7.4% had made a specific plan to attempt suicide (suicide plan), 2.1% actually had attempted suicide. Female students were significantly more like to have a suicide ideation, suicide plan and attempted suicide than male students. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient of suicide ideation and suicide plan was 0.628 (P<0.001), the correlation coefficient of suicide plan and attempted suicide 0.486 (P<0.001). By unconditional logistic regression done on suicide ideation, suicide plan, and attempted suicide, respectively, depression was a independent risk factors for the three behaviors related to intentioned injury. Odds ratio (OR) and OR 95% conofidence interval (CI) were 3.39 (2.76-4.16), 5.63 (4.26-7.44), and 5.12 (3.12-8.41), respectively.Conclusion Intentional injuries were associated with depression. Preventive efforts of intentional injuries should include promotion of mental health in high school adolescents.