“The findings from this study emphasize the need for mental health support for adolescents experiencing suicidality as a means of increasing safety for themselves and their communities, as accidental injury deaths via car accidents were the leading cause of death among adolescents in 2019,” said lead author Kyle T. Ganson, PhD, MSW, assistant professor at the University of Toronto’s Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
“The more severe the suicidality, the stronger the association with risky driving behaviors. Adolescents who reported a suicide injury, such as a poisoning or overdose needing to be treated by a medical professional, had the highest likelihood to report all four risky driving behaviors we examined.”
The researchers emphasize the implications of their findings to protect the health and well-being of adolescents. “Health care professionals should consider discussing risky driving behaviors with teens who report suicidality,” said co-author Jason M. Nagata, MD, MSc, assistant professor at the University of California, San Francisco’s Department of Pediatrics.
Source: Eurekalert
