Adolescent Suicide in Quebec and Prior Utilization of Medical Services

Background: Psychopathology is the main risk factor for adolescent suicide but several studies have shown that only a small proportion of suicide victims receive mental health care during the months preceding their suicide. The goal of this study is to describe the uti-lization of medical services by Quebec adolescent suicide victims during the year preced-ing their suicide. Methods: All suicides of persons aged 19 or less that occurred during a five-year period were retrieved from the Quebec Coroner’s database. Corresponding medical services uti-lization data were retrieved from the Quebec physician payment database (RAMQ) and the Quebec hospitalization database (MED-ECHO). Data were analyzed in terms of types and intensity of medical services (physical or psychiatric), types of providers (general prac-titioners, psychiatrists, and other medical specialists), and timing of interventions relative to the date of suicide. Results: 78 % of all Quebec adolescent suicide victims utilized medical services during the year before their suicide. However, only 12 % of all victims received medical attention fo