Gender differences in the relationship between obsessive-compulsive symptoms and suicide risk among psychiatric outpatient adolescents: the role of depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and sleep disturbances

Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 23;13:1553066. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1553066. eCollection 2025.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Suicide has become one of the leading causes of death among adolescents, with an increased risk observed in the psychiatric outpatient population. Therefore, exploring its risk factors is crucial. Obsessive-compulsive symptoms, being common in this patient group, warrant investigation into their impact mechanisms on suicide risk.

METHODS: This study enrolled 526 outpatient adolescents [396 females (75.29%); Mage = 15.39, SD = 1.23] who completed relevant questionnaires and provided demographic data during their clinic visit.

RESULTS: Obsessive-compulsive symptoms positively predicted suicide risk in both males and females, with depressive symptoms mediating this effect. Sleep disturbances played a mediating role only in females, while anxiety symptoms did not mediate the relationship in either gender.

CONCLUSION: Clinicians should pay closer attention to adolescents presenting with obsessive-compulsive and depressive symptoms, as well as female adolescents with sleep disturbances, to mitigate their elevated suicide risk.

PMID:40337729 | PMC:PMC12055545 | DOI:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1553066