Adolescent Perception of Weight Tied to Suicidal Ideation

THURSDAY, Feb. 20, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Both perceived and actual overweight status may be associated with suicidal ideation among adolescents, according to a study published online Jan. 29 in Psychiatry Research.

Philip Baiden, Ph.D., from the University of Texas at Arlington, and colleagues examined the association between perceived weight, actual weight, and suicidal ideation among adolescents. The analysis included data from 61,298 adolescents (aged 12 to 18 years) participating in the Youth Behavior Risk Survey (2015 to 2021).

The researchers found that approximately one in five adolescents reported suicidal ideation, with adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight and had body mass index ≥85th percentile having 1.48 times higher odds of reporting suicidal ideation. Similarly, adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight but had body mass index <85th percentile had 1.47 times higher odds of experiencing suicidal ideation than their peers who did not perceive themselves as overweight but had body mass index <85th percentile.

“Even after adjusting for established suicidal ideation risk factors such as feelings of hopelessness, bullying, cyberbullying, substance use, and demographic variables, we still found a connection between how adolescents feel about their weight and whether they are considering self-harm,” coauthor Catherine A. LaBrenz, Ph.D., also from the University of Texas, said in a statement.

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