The American journal of emergency medicine, Volume 101, 8 2 2026, Pages 159-165 Evaluation of patients admitted to the pediatric emergency departments due to suicide attempts: A multicenter study from Türkiye. Yigit H, Birbilen AZ, Akbaba B, Demirel C, Çiçek A, Berksoy E, Mutlu B, Vatansever G, Tekin D, Bilen S, Yılmaz HL, Gökulu G, Tunç A, Akansu İ, Ulusoy E, Yılmaz D, Duman M, Fidancı İ, Taşar MA, Doğan M, Göktuğ A, Besli GE, Er A, Apa H, Demir Ş, Çağlar A, Bodur İ, Tuygun N, Gökay SS, Çınıçev Ş, Çağlar AA, Güleryüz OD, Okay B, Bayraktar S, Yavşan Z, Özdemir İ, Tekeli A, Özdel ZGE, Ödek Ç, Eser Ö, Güven Ş, Yıldız LA, Kurt F, Akça H, Karacan CD, Özkaya AK, Doğan YE, Bedir S, Seçilmiş Y, Kendir ÖT, Erkek N, Gültekingil A, Soydan E, Demirel Ö, Çilingiroğlu AÖ, Şık N, Nurhan E, Cebeci SO, Yalçın GA, Balcı ÖÖ, Anıl M, Ülgen BT, Alp EE, Tekşam Ö
Background
Suicide is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescents and is increasingly recognized among younger children. Pediatric emergency departments (EDs) are critical points for the identification and management of suicide attempts. This study aimed to evaluate the demographic and clinical characteristics, methods, and temporal trends of suicide attempts among children and adolescents presenting to pediatric EDs in Türkiye.
Methods
We conducted a retrospective, multicenter study across 29 pediatric EDs from July 1, 2017, to June 30, 2022. Patients aged 8-18 years with a confirmed suicide attempt were included. Data collected included demographics, methods, psychiatric history, prior attempts, medications used in self-poisoning, psychiatric consultations, and outcomes. Statistical analyses included chi-square and Mann-Whitney U tests.
Results
During the study period, 6004 suicide attempt presentations were identified among 9,736,825 ED visits (0.5/1000). The median age was 15 years (IQR: 14-16), with 78.8% female (female-to-male ratio 3.7:1). Most patients (92.9%) were aged 13-18 years. Self-poisoning was the predominant method (95.4%), commonly involving NSAIDs, paracetamol, SSRIs, and atypical antipsychotics; 23.5% ingested their own medications, 76.2% of which were psychotropics. A known psychiatric disorder was present in 36.4%, and 16.4% had a prior suicide attempt. Psychiatric consultation was obtained in 73% of cases. Hospitalization occurred in 89.8%, with 15.5% requiring intensive care. Eleven deaths were recorded.
Conclusions
Suicide attempts among children and adolescents are a significant and ongoing public health problem in Türkiye, with self-poisoning as the dominant method. The findings underscore the need for targeted prevention strategies, safe medication storage, and strengthened psychiatric services in pediatric EDs to improve outcomes for this high-risk population.
