Sounding the Alarm: Perinatally HIV-Infected Youth More Likely to Attempt Suicide Than Their Uninfected Cohort Peers.

PURPOSE

Suicide is the second leading cause of death among youth in the U.S., yet there are few studies on suicide among youth with perinatally acquired HIV infection (YPHIV). Our aim was to determine if suicide attempts differed for YPHIV compared with perinatally HIV-exposed but uninfected peers (YPHEU).

METHODS

Data come from a longitudinal behavioral health cohort (N = 340) of YPHIV (n = 206) and YPHEU (n = 134) recruited between ages 9 and 16 years and interviewed with psychosocial batteries every 12-18 months. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between reported suicide attempt and participants' HIV status. We assessed whether baseline demographic characteristics and sexual orientation were potential confounding factors. Fisher's exact tests were used to evaluate the association between first attempted suicide and HIV status within age groups.

RESULTS

YPHIV were more likely to make a suicide attempt than YPHEU (odds ratio = 2.35, 95% confidence interval = 1.28-4.34). Youth most often reported their first attempt between the ages of 14-18 years. Demographic characteristics and sexual orientation were not associated with attempted suicide.

CONCLUSIONS

YPHIV compared with YPHEU were more likely to report a suicide attempt, and this difference emerged during late adolescence and persisted through young adulthood.