Assessing the Relationship Between School Failure and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Studies

There is an increasing acknowledgment that suicidal behaviors are negatively affected by school failure in adolescents and young adults. However, no systematic reviews with meta-analysis have been performed to evaluate the strength of this association. We assessed the magnitude of association of school failure as risk factor for suicide behavior in adolescents and young adults. Six international databases were searched up until January 2017. Inclusion criteria were: (1) assessment of suicide attempt or suicide; (2) case–control or cohort studies; (3) subjects aged 12–26 years; (4) school failure evaluated, which includes low academic performance, school dropout, school expulsion, and grade repetition. Random effect models were used; population attributable risks (PARs) were estimated. From 26,883 potentially eligible articles, 14 (62,298 individuals) were included. Meta-analyses could only be performed for suicide attempt. A history of school dropout (OR 6.44, 95% CI 3.03–13.65), low academic performance (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.22–1.81), and school failure (OR 1.98, 95% CI 1.49–2.64) were significant risks of suicide attempts. Highest PAR estimates were 9.9% for school dropout, 5.1% for low academic performance, and 6.7% for any school failure. Only one study has been found for suicide, but results suggest an association with school dropout. Results show that the students who had school failure are at higher risk of suicide attempt and probably for suicide. The development of effective programs to prevent suicidal behaviors in educational settings may be an effective strategy to reduce these behaviors. However, reliable conclusions from this review are limited by the small amount of included studies for analysis.