An Examination of Help-Seeking Behaviour Among Adolescents with a History of Suicide Attempts: A Cross-Sectional Study in Norway

Abstract

Understanding the help-seeking behavior of youth who have attempted suicide is critical. Individuals who have attempted suicide are typically reluctant to seek assistance, highlighting the importance of improving help-seeking tendencies among them. This research aims to investigate the connection between adolescents' help-seeking behavior, suicide attempts, and the factors that may influence post-suicide attempt teens in seeking help. This study uses Ungvold (2015) data from Norway, encompassing a sample of 4,033 students aged 18-19, with a subset aged 20 and over. Logistic regression revealed that odds of seeking help for adolescents who have attempted suicide was ten times higher compared to those who did not. Ethnic minority teens had lower odds of seeking help, while depressive symptoms increased the likelihood of help-seeking. Adolescents from affluent families displayed a lower inclination to seek help compared to their economically disadvantaged peers, whereas adolescents with highly educated parents were more likely to seek help than those with less educated parents. The findings suggest the need for interventions to address the barriers to help-seeking among ethnic minority teens, to develop programs to encourage help-seeking among adolescents who have not attempting suicide, and to consider multiple factors in understanding help-seeking behaviour among suicide-attempting teens.