Suicidal behaviour among adolescents and young adults represents a global public health problem (World Health Organisation, 2025). Given that suicide is one of the leading causes of death in this group, there needs to be a better understanding of the protective and vulnerability factors during this stage of development (Busby et al., 2023; Jaycox et al., 2024). 

Suicidal behaviour generally does not emerge suddenly, but rather evolves on a continuum from ideation to suicidal attempt. Although research has identified multiple associated factors – for example, depression, anxiety or victimisation (Ati et al., 2021; Carbone & Casement, 2023) – there are still few studies that have analysed these factors together. 

At the same time, several protective factors can prevent this behaviour from developing. Social support, resilience and life satisfaction have been associated with a lower prevalence of suicidal behaviour in young people (Ati et al., 2021; Randall et al., 2014). With that in mind, the aim of this study is to examine the risk factors for suicidal behaviour (ideation and attempts) in a sample of 3,159 students aged 16 to 22 from secondary schools, vocational training institutions and universities in Catalonia.
 

The estimated lifetime prevalence rates in Europe are 9.0% for suicidal ideation, 2.9% for suicidal attempt (Castillejos et al., 2020) and 27.6% for self-harm in adolescents. In the study sample, 30.6% of those surveyed reported having had suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives, 10.6% had attempted suicide and 25.9% had self-harmed. This prevalence is higher than the European average calculated a few years ago and could be due to the impact of covid-19 on this group (Aragonès et al., 2026). Figure 1 shows significant gender disparities, with girls having much higher rates than boys, doubling them in terms of suicidal attempt and self-harm.


 

Childhood trauma and stressful life events have been shown to be key determinants of suicidal vulnerability (Figure 2). The study findings reveal a significant correlation between both these factors and an exacerbation of the suicidal spectrum (p < .001), in line with results from international studies (Angelakis et al., 2019; Liu & Miller, 2014). As shown in Figure 2, trauma increases with clinical severity. Emotional abuse has the strongest link (χ²(2) = 646.6, p < .001, V = .47), with a six times higher percentage in the attempt group (68.3%) than in the control group (10.7%). A similar pattern is observed for sexual abuse, which is almost six times higher in the attempt group (6.8% vs. 37.9%; V = .30). This increase is even more extreme in the case of physical abuse, with a sevenfold increase in prevalence (4.2% vs. 29.1%; V = .28), while there is a fourfold increase in the case of emotional neglect (9.9% vs. 44.5%; V = .30), and threefold in the case of physical neglect (12.7% vs. 39.0%; V = .22). These data suggest that the cumulative exposure to and severity of trauma are determining factors in the transition to a suicidal attempt.

Exposure to stressful life events follows an identical risk pattern to that of childhood trauma (Figure 2). Bullying is notable as the event with the greatest effect (χ²(2) = 309.3, p <.001, V =.33): its prevalence is triple that in the control group compared to the suicidal attempt group (23.0% vs. 68.1%), and it quadruples in the case of cyberbullying (6.9% vs. 30.3%; V =.24). Within the family environment, sexual aggression by a relative increases sixfold (4.4% vs. 26.3%; V = .25); the presence of addictions among first-degree relatives increases threefold (9.3% vs. 30.7%; V = .22), and separation from parents doubles (26.7% vs. 47.5%; V = .16). Finally, financial difficulties are three times more prevalent (14.7% vs. 41.6%; V = .24).


 

As shown in Figure 3, digital addictions are linked to suicidal behaviour. The problematic use of social media shows a linear and progressive association (χ²(2) = 40.0, p <.001, V =.11), with prevalence tripling from the control group to the suicidal attempt group (2.8% vs. 9.8%). These data align with the theoretical framework of Nesi et al. (2021), which emphasises that a relationship exists although it is unclear whether it is causal.

The problematic use of pornography shows a significant, albeit smaller effect size (χ²(2) = 8.97, p = .011; V = .08). The prevalence of suicidal behaviour is higher among young people at clinical risk (21.4% in terms of ideation and 17.4% in terms of attempts) than among those in the control group (14.6%). The fact that it peaks in the ideation phase reinforces the hypothesis that the problematic use of pornography acts as a marker of internal distress prior to transitioning to action (Altin et al., 2024). 


 

Data analysis shows that all assessed factors deteriorate stepwise as clinical severity progresses (p <.001). Life satisfaction is the variable most sensitive to this deterioration, presenting a moderate-to-high effect size (ω² = 0.119) and showing a 30.4% reduction in mean score between the control group and the suicidal attempt group. Secondly, perceived social support (ω² = 0.066) deteriorates by 18.8%. Finally, despite registering the smallest effect size of the three variables (ω² = 0.052), resilience experiences a notable loss of 24.5%.


 

The findings of this study help to increase our understanding of suicidal behaviour among students in Catalonia. Firstly, it shows a significant gender disparity in suicidal behaviour, with girls exhibiting twice the rate of attempts and self-harm as boys, thereby demanding gender-specific approaches in detection and intervention protocols. Secondly, the results confirm that childhood trauma and stressful life events act as critical determinants in worsening the symptoms. Thirdly, distinct digital patterns emerge: while the problematic use of social media is associated with the transition to suicidal behaviour as a coping mechanism, the problematic use of pornography primarily acts as an indicator of internal distress during the ideation phase.

This accumulation of risks coincides with a progressive and significant deterioration in life satisfaction, resilience and social support as clinical severity increases. Preventive strategies must therefore not be limited to alleviating stress, but rather to prioritising the promotion of well-being and strengthening support networks. In short, these findings highlight the need for public policies that ensure coordinated action between health and education systems in order to take a comprehensive approach to the mental health of young people.

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