Abstract
BACKGROUND: Adolescent poisoning, particularly deliberate self-poisoning, represents a serious public health issue with significant implications for mental health. METHODS: This retrospective study analyzed 203 cases of poisoning in individuals aged 14–24 who presented to the emergency department of the Affiliated Kunshan Hospital of Jiangsu University between January 2017 and December 2023. The study aimed to identify key predictors of suicidal poisoning, with a specific focus on the relationship between documented depression history and suicide. Intent (suicidal vs. accidental [non-suicidal]) was classified based on clinician documentation and discharge coding; depression history was defined by a previously documented diagnosis in the electronic medical record (EMR). RESULTS: Among the 203 cases, 85.2% were attributed to suicide attempts, with females comprising 61.1% of the sample. The majority of the patients resided in urban areas (97.0%), and 57.1% had a documented history of depression. Notably, all patients with a documented history of depression were in the suicidal group; in univariate ROC analysis, depression showed the highest discrimination for suicidal poisoning (AUC: 0.835). Other variables, such as age and gender, had substantially weaker predictive power. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support targeted screening and prevention strategies (including means restriction and safe medication practices) for adolescents and young adults at risk, while emphasizing the need for cautious interpretation and prospective confirmation. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.