Risk Factors for Anger Expression and Suicide Tendencies in Male Pakistani Adolescents

Substance use is a significant problem in Pakistan, particularly among male adolescents, yet there are limited research studies to determine the risk for mental health problems (i.e., anger expression and suicide tendencies) in adolescent population who use alcohol and other drugs. Present study aims to determine the prevalence and rick for anger expression and suicide tendencies in a sample of male Pakistani adolescents. Participants (N = 181; M = 16.69 years, SD = 2.13 years; Range = 12 to 24) were recruited from community Gilgit Baltistan, Pakistan. They completed demographic information (e.g., age, education level, family structure, household income), questions on substance use by family and neighbors, the Suicide and Anger Expression Inventory (SAEI; Osman et al., 2010), the Alcohol Use Identification Test (AUDIT; WHO; 2001), and questions about lifetime use of Alcohol. Sixty nine (38.1%) of respondents reported ever used alcohol. Further, eighty eight (48.1%) respondent reported to use alcohol by any family member, and one hundred and twenty eight (70.7%) reported to use alcohol by their neighbor. Chronbach alpha for the Urdu translated version of SAEI was conducted. Alpha level for suicide rumination (α =.94), maladaptive expression (α =.844), reactive distress (α =.862), and adaptive expression (α =.858), and suicide and anger expression total (α =.881) was obtained. Independent sample t test was used to determine the difference of suicide rumination, maladaptive expression, reactive distress and adaptive expression between the adolescent who use alcohol and control group. Results showed significant difference between the adolescents who use alcohol and those who don’t on the variable suicide rumination (df = 179, t = 28.16, p<.01), maladaptive expression (df = 179, t = 29.88, p<.01), reactive distress (df = 179, t = 25.37, p<.01) and adaptive expression (df = 179, t = -7.93, p<.01). Finding of present study reflects that the adolescents who use alcohol have higher level of suicide and anger expression problems than those who don’t use alcohol. Implications for the prevention of Alcohol use and mental health problems are discussed.

Keywords: Prevalence, Alcohol use, substance use, Anger expression, Suicide tendencies, adolescents.