Suicidal Risk and Psychopathological Profiles in Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: An Italian Multicentric Study

Ramona Cardillo^1,2Irene Di Modica³Francesca Cucinotta^4*Federica Galletta³Alessia Raffagnato²Marcella Di Cara⁵Carmela De Domenico⁵Eva Germanò³Sara Carucci⁶Giuseppe Abbracciavento⁶Rita Murtas⁶Alessia Donia⁷Giuliana Bonelli³Serenella Grittani⁸Evamaria Lanzarini⁹Arianna Accetta³Martina Pirrone³Carola Costanza¹⁰Rosamaria Siracusano¹¹Clemente Cedro^12,13Michela Gatta²Antonella Gagliano¹⁴

• ¹Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization, School of Psychology, University of Padua, Padua, Veneto, Italy
• ²Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Women’s and Children’s Health, Padua University Hospital Padua, Italy, Padua, Veneto, Italy
• ³Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Department of Human Pathology in Adulthood and Childhood Gaetano Barresi, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
• ⁴IRCCS Centro Neurolesi "Bonino-Pulejo", Messina, Italy
• ⁵IRCCS Centro Neurolesi 'Bonino Pulejo', Messina, Italy
• ⁶Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari and 'A Cao' Paediatric Hospital, 'G Brotzu' Hospital Trust, Cagliari, Italy., Cagliari, Sardinia, Italy
• ⁷Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Messina, Italy
• ⁸Centre for Children with ASD, Rimini, Italy, Rimini, Italy
• ⁹Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry Unit, Infermi Hospital, Rimini, Italy, Rimini, Italy
• ¹⁰Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Sicily, Italy
• ¹¹Division of Child Neurology and Psychiatry, Federico II University Hospital Naples, 80138 Naples, Italy, Napoli, Italy
• ¹²Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphofunctional Imaging, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, 1, 98125 Messina, Italy, Messina, Italy
• ¹³Psychiatry Unit, Polyclinic Hospital, University of Messina, Italy, Messina, Italy
• ¹⁴Clinic of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, Department of Medicine and Surgery, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

Suicidal spectrum behaviors (SSB) consist of a continuum ranging from non-suicidal self-injury, suicidal ideation, and suicide attempt to committed suicide. In adolescence, suicide is currently the second cause of death among adolescents aged 15 to 24 years and the third leading cause in children aged 10 to 14 years. Adolescents with Neurodevelopmental Disorders (NDDs), especially those with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, are at heightened risk. This is a cross-sectional, multicenter research study, which involves four Italian child neuropsychiatry units (Messina, Padua, Rimini, and Cagliari). The study aims to define a specific neuropsychological and psychopathological profile associated with suicidal behaviors in adolescents and pre-adolescents with NDDs (11-18 years). In a sample of 127 NDDs adolescents (60 females and 67 males), with and without SSB, several variables were compared through standardized measures, including emotional dysregulation, impulsivity, and irritability as well as environmental risk factors.The results of this study are consistent with the literature data and suggest that emotional dysregulation (p < .001) as an individual factor and Adverse Childhood Experiences (p = .002), as environmental factors, play a key role in promoting suicidality in pre-adolescents and adolescents with NDDs. This awareness prompts the implementation of useful prevention methods during the clinical follow-up of individuals with NDDs.