AUTHOR=Fang Xinwei , Qian Xiulian , Hu Xinzhu , Jiang Huilan , Hu Weiming 

TITLE=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

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2025.1553066

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2025.1553066

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=BackgroundSuicide 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.MethodsThis 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.ResultsObsessive-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.ConclusionClinicians 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.