Gender differences in suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm among adolescents in Sri Lanka

Objectives: Gender plays an important role in the psychological well-being of adolescents. This study compared the prevalence of suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm in adolescent males and females in a coastal district in Sri Lanka severely affected by the 2004 tsunami disaster. Methods: A sample of 971(about 6% of the target population) high school children (376 (38.7%) males and 595 (61.3%) females), aged 18-19, were surveyed using a self-report, anonymous questionnaire in the local language. Results: Females reported suicidal ideation at least once in their lifetime more frequently than males (12.1% vs. 6.5%, p < .005). Furthermore, twenty-two (3.7%) females and 13 (3.5%) males reported that they had deliberately sought to harm themselves at least once in the 12 months preceding the survey. Discussion: In the setting of the recovery from the recent Tsunami, female adolescents in the Galle district appear to be at higher risk of developing suicidal ideation compared to males from the same area. Recent active attempt at self-harm confirms the importance of adolescent suicide as an important public health issue. Further research is needed to identify gender-specific, cultural, and other country-specific causative factors of suicidal ideation and deliberate self-harm and to better understand the means adolescent use to harm themselves.