Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and suicide: A systematic review

Table 1 Included relevant articles examining attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and suicidality from January 2011 to January 2015: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in suicidal patients

ADHD in suicidal patients
Ref.	Country	Study design	Sample	Population at onset	Population’s age at onset	Measures for ADHD, comorbid conditions and suicidality	Main findings
Ben-Yehuda et al[24]	Israel	Cross-sectional	Clinical sample	The survey involved all minors (age < 18) (n = 266) who were referred to a psychiatric emergency department due to a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation during a 3-yr period (2005-2007)	Children: Age range: ≤ 12 yr Adolescents: Age range: > 12 yr	The diagnosis was made by the examiner in the emergency department: diagnoses were coded using the ICD-10	The distribution of psychiatric diagnoses differed significantly in the two age groups ADHD was significantly more prevalent among suicidal children, while mood disorders were more prevalent among suicidal adolescents The second most prevalent diagnosis among suicidal children was ADHD (25.6%) (following adjustment disorder/38.5%/and followed by conduct disorders/23.1%) In adolescents ADHD was not among the most common diagnoses: it was found in only 5.7% in the adolescent group
Evren et al[25]	Turkey	Cross-sectional	Community sample	A representative sample of 10th grade students: n = 4938 (male ratio: 52.7%)	Mean age: 15.58 yr (SD = 2.85)	PSTA	Those with a lifetime suicidal thoughts had a higher mean ADHD symptom score than those without. Suicidal thoughts predicted the symptoms of ADHD
Soole et al[26]	Australia	Cross-sectional	Community sample	469 deaths by external causes were recorded in the Queensland CDR for children and adolescents aged 10-17 between 2004 and 2012	Between 2004 and 2012, 149 suicides were recorded: 34 of children aged 10-14 yr and 115 of adolescents aged 15-17 yr	Causes of death were categorized using the ICD-10	Mental and behavioral disorders were observed in 50% of children and 57.3% of adolescents who died by suicide. Disorders usually diagnosed in infancy, childhood, and adolescence, such as ADHD, were significantly more frequent in children than in adolescents. Mood disorders, such as depression, were significantly more common in adolescents compared with children

CDR: Child Death Register; ADHD: Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder; PSTA: Psychological screening test for adolescents.