Airi Värnik

Airi Värnik
Tallinn University | TLU · -

MD PhD

About

147
Publications
86,950
Reads
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13,314
Citations
Additional affiliations
September 2007 - present
Tallinn University
Position
  • Professor
Education
January 1995 - December 1997
Karolinska Institutet
Field of study
  • medicine - psychiatry

Publications

Publications (147)
Article
Full-text available
Early detection and intervention can counteract mental disorders and risk behaviours among adolescents. However, help-seeking rates are low. School-based screenings are a promising tool to detect adolescents at risk for mental problems and to improve help-seeking behaviour. We assessed associations between the intervention “Screening by Professiona...
Article
Full-text available
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in adolescents and help-seeking behaviour for suicidal behaviour is low. School-based screenings can identify adolescents at risk for suicidal behaviour and might have the potential to facilitate service use and reduce suicidal behaviour. The aim of this study was to assess associations of a two-stage s...
Article
Background: Alcohol consumption is related to both suicidal ideation and behaviour, but evidence regarding the effect of psychological interventions to reduce alcohol use on self-harm, suicidal behaviour and ideation is limited. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to conduct a systematic literature review and meta-analysis of the effect of...
Book
This is a one-stop book for anyone who wants an overview of the research approaches and issues concerning suicide. Leading researchers provide a comprehensive toolbox of the current best practices in suicide research, showing you how to conduct high-quality research using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods in suicide-prevention from a pub...
Chapter
Social, political, and economic changes in the countries of the former Soviet Union present a model for investigation of the impact of environment on suicide mortality during times of transition. Throughout the period of perestroika (1985–1990), when social changes were rapid, a significant decrease of suicide mortality was observed in all 15 repub...
Article
Full-text available
The school-based mental health promotion and suicide prevention universal program Youth Aware of Mental Health (YAM) significantly reduces incident suicide attempts and severe suicidal ideation. This paper aims at elucidating psychological mechanisms underlying YAM’s efficacy. Our hypothesis is that YAM operates through interactions with coping str...
Article
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Alcohol consumption has been found to be related to suicidal behavior at the individual and population level, but there is lack of literature reviews on the effect of alcohol policies on suicidal behavior. Therefore, the aim of the current study is to conduct a systematic literature review of the impact of alcohol policies at the population level o...
Article
Peer victimization is a major stressor adolescents often face in the school environment, and has been linked to depression and suicidal risk. This study analyzed the associations between three behavioral coping strategies (avoidance, seeking social support from adults/peers, and retaliation) and depression and suicidal ideation. Participants includ...
Article
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The ‘European Alliance Against Depression’ community-based intervention approach simultaneously targets depression and suicidal behaviour by a multifaceted community based intervention and has been implemented in more than 115 regions worldwide. The two main aims of the European Union funded project “Optimizing Suicide Prevention Programmes and The...
Article
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Background Predictions of two different models for suicide attempts (SA) over 12 months, as differentially impacted by specific school‐based suicide prevention interventions, were compared. These were as follows: (a) interpersonal theory (IPTS) and (b) a two‐pathway model, one path associated with externalizing symptoms and continuum of self‐harm b...
Article
Purpose: Self-injurious behavior is a frequent phenomenon in adolescence. The present study prospectively examined life events as risk factors for the first onset of direct self-injurious behavior (D-SIB) in the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe school-based multicenter sample. Methods: Longitudinal assessments with an interval of 1 ye...
Article
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Background Reproductive and mental health are key domains of adolescent wellbeing but possible interrelationships are poorly understood. This cross-sectional study evaluated the association between psychopathology and reproductive health risk among European adolescents. Methods A structured self-report questionnaire was delivered to 12,395 pupils...
Article
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Physical disorders and anxiety are frequently comorbid. This study investigates the characteristics of physical disorders, self-rated heath, subjective well-being and anxiety in adolescents. Data were drawn from the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe cohort study. From 11 countries 11,230 adolescents, aged 14–16 years were included. Zung S...
Article
Full-text available
Background The association between bullying victimization and depression, suicide ideation and suicide attempts has been studied mainly in cross‐sectional studies. This study aims to test the bidirectional effect and the chronicity versus sporadic effect of physical, verbal, and relational bullying victimization on suicidal ideation/attempts and de...
Article
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Decades of research has shown that adolescent alcohol consumption is linked to effective parenting. Data were obtained from adolescents (N=11 503, mean age 14.9±0.79) in Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and Spain within the European Union’s 7th Framework Programme funded project, ‘Saving and Empo...
Article
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Background Sexuality is a physiological component of adolescent development, though early initiation is associated with reproductive health risk. This study aimed at identifying correlates and predictors of sexual initiation in a large multinational cohort of European adolescents. Methods A questionnaire addressing socio-demographics, behaviours,...
Article
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Early onset and long-term smoking are associated with physical and psychological health problems. The aim of the presented analysis was to investigate risk and influencing factors for different smoking status in a big sample of European adolescents. In the context of the "saving and empowering young lives in Europe" (SEYLE) study we surveyed 12,328...
Article
Full-text available
Purpose: To examine risk and protective factors moderating the associations between three types of bullying victimization (physical, verbal, and relational bullying) with suicide ideation/attempts in a large representative sample of European adolescents. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data on 11,110 students (mean age = 14.9, standard devi...
Article
Full-text available
Previous studies have examined the association between victimization by bullying and both suicide ideation and suicide attempts. The current study examined the association between victimization by bullying and direct-self-injurious behavior (D-SIB) among a large representative sample of male and female adolescents in Europe. This study is part of t...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Adolescents and young adults are among the most frequent Internet users, and accumulating evidence suggests that their Internet behaviors might affect their mental health. Internet use may impact mental health because certain Web-based content could be distressing. It is also possible that excessive use, regardless of content, produces...
Article
Purpose: Increased Internet accessibility has been accompanied by an increased awareness of pathological Internet use (PIU). The aim of the study was to investigate a potential increase of PIU among European adolescents. Methods: Comparable data from two large cross-sectional multicentre, school-based studies conducted in 2009/2010 and 2011/2012...
Conference Paper
Full-text available
The community-based 4-level-intervention concept developed within the “European Alliance against Depression” ( http://www.eaad.net/ ) combines two important aims: to improve the care and treatment of patients with depression and to prevent suicidal behavior. It has been shown to be effective concerning the prevention of suicidal behavior [1–4] and...
Chapter
The period known as perestroika (‘restructuring’), when Mikhail Gorbachev came into power on 10 March 1985 in the former USSR, was characterized by a powerful democratic movement and spiritual liberation. During this period, Gorbachev implemented a strict anti-alcohol policy to tackle the problem of widespread alcoholism in the country. The impact...
Chapter
In this chapter, school-based suicide preventive interventions are reviewed. Results from the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) randomized controlled trial (RCT) performed in ten European countries among 11,000 school-based adolescents show that mental health can be improved. The YAM (Youth Aware of Mental Health) programme, used...
Article
Suicide: an unnecessary death is a comprehensive summary of the study of suicide from the health-care and public mental health perspectives. The book offers an easy to read overview of prevention, diagnostics, and treatment, based on extensive research and experience of the foremost experts in suicidology. Suicidal behaviours are elucidated from th...
Article
Full-text available
Reading books and watching films were investigated as protective factors for serioussuicidal ideation (SSI) in young people with low perceived social belonging.Cross-sectionaland longitudinal (12-month) analyses were performed using data from a representative Europeansample of 3256 students from the “Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe” stu...
Article
Full-text available
Background: In Europe, men have lower rates of attempted suicide compared to women and at the same time a higher rate of completed suicides, indicating major gender differences in lethality of suicidal behaviour. The aim of this study was to analyse the extent to which these gender differences in lethality can be explained by factors such as choic...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of the current study is to examine the associations between the quality of relationships and life satisfaction of older mothers in Estonia, Germany, Russia and the People's Republic of China, based on the assumptions of the Family Change Theory. The role of satisfaction with family life as the probable mediating factor is considered. Estoni...
Article
Background Smoking among adolescents is still a major public health problem and a global concern. Early onset and long-term smoking are associated with physical and psychological health problems. Objective To identify risk factors and comorbidities for occasional and daily smoking among European adolescents. Methods In the context of the Europe-w...
Article
Full-text available
Objectives: This study assesses the complex impact of risk and protective factors on suicide mortality in the Ukrainian general population. Methods: Data on suicide rates and socioeconomic and medical factors were obtained from the Ukrainian State Statistical Office, WHO and the European Social Survey. Structural equation modeling was used for data...
Article
Full-text available
Background: The ROAdmap for MEntal health Research in Europe project aimed to create an integrated European roadmap for mental health research. Leading mental health research experts across Europe have formulated consensus-based recommendations for future research within the public mental health field. Methods: Experts were invited to compile an...
Article
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To screen and clinically interview European adolescents reporting current suicidality (suicidal ideation and suicide attempt) and investigate attendance at the clinical interview. The Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) Project was carried out in 11 European countries. A baseline questionnaire was completed in school by 12,395 adole...
Article
Background Suicidal behaviours in adolescents are a major public health problem and evidence-based prevention programmes are greatly needed. We aimed to investigate the efficacy of school-based preventive interventions of suicidal behaviours. Methods The Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study is a multicentre, cluster-randomised...
Article
Full-text available
There is expedient evidence showing that differences in adolescent alcohol consumption and other risk-behaviour depend on both family structure and family member drunkenness exposure. Data were obtained among adolescents (N = 12,115, mean age 14.9 ± 0.89) in Austria, Estonia, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Romania, Slovenia and S...
Article
Full-text available
To compare frequencies of suicide attempt repetition in immigrants and local European populations, and the timing of repetition in these groups. Data from 7 European countries, comprising 10 574 local and 3032 immigrant subjects, were taken from the World Health Organization European Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour and the ensuing Monitorin...
Article
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Rising global rates of pathological Internet use (PIU) and related psychological impairments have gained considerable attention in recent years. In an effort to acquire evidence-based knowledge of this relationship, the main objective of this study was to investigate the association between PIU, psychopathology and self-destructive behaviours among...
Article
This study explored the prevalence of risk behaviors (excessive alcohol use, illegal drug use, heavy smoking, reduced sleep, overweight, underweight, sedentary behavior, high use of Internet/TV/videogames for reasons not related to school or work, and truancy), and their association with psychopathology and self-destructive behaviors, in a sample o...
Article
Full-text available
To investigate the prevalence and associated psychosocial factors of occasional and repetitive direct self-injurious behavior (D-SIB), such as self-cutting, -burning, -biting, -hitting, and skin damage by other methods, in representative adolescent samples from 11 European countries. Cross-sectional assessment of adolescents was performed within th...
Article
Full-text available
This report describes the investigation of care recommendations in the medical system across European countries to immigrants who attempted suicide. Data from seven European countries with 8865 local and 2921 immigrant person-cases were derived from the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour and ensuing MONSUE (Monitoring Suicidal Behavio...
Article
Full-text available
Research concerning the association between use of antidepressants and incidence of suicide has yielded inconsistent results and is the subject of considerable controversy. The first aim is to describe trends in the use of antidepressants and rates of suicide in Europe, adjusted for gross domestic product, alcohol consumption, unemployment, and div...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of this study was to establish how different types of welfare states shape the context of the everyday life of older people by influencing their subjective well-being, which in turn might manifest itself in suicide rates. Twenty-two European countries studied were divided into Continental, Nordic, Island, Southern, and post-socialist countr...
Article
Full-text available
Mental health problems and risk behaviours among young people are of great public health concern. Consequently, within the VII Framework Programme, the European Commission funded the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) project. This Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) was conducted in eleven European countries, with Sweden as the coor...
Article
Full-text available
Depressive disorders as well as fatal and non-fatal suicidal behaviour continue to be important mental health issues. Because of the close relation between depression and suicidal behaviour, it is likely that preventive actions improving care and optimising treatment for depressed patients result in a reduction of suicidal acts. This was shown in t...
Article
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Background: Subthreshold-depression and anxiety have been associated with significant impairments in adults. This study investigates the characteristics of adolescent subthreshold-depression and anxiety with a focus on suicidality, using both categorical and dimensional diagnostic models. Methods: Data were drawn from the Saving and Empowering Youn...
Book
Full-text available
The issue of mental health is becoming increasingly important in modern society. Psychological problems and mental illness are becoming more prevalent across much of Europe and there is an emerging realisation that we must, as a society, promote good mental health and wellbeing, as well as improve mental health services. We now know that good menta...
Book
Full-text available
The issue of mental health is becoming increasingly important in modern society. Psychological problems and mental illness are becoming more prevalent across much of Europe and there is an emerging realisation that we must, as a society, promote good mental health and wellbeing, as well as improve mental health services. We now know that good menta...
Book
Full-text available
The issue of mental health is becoming increasingly important in modern society. Psychological problems and mental illness are becoming more prevalent across much of Europe and there is an emerging realisation that we must, as a society, promote good mental health and wellbeing, as well as improve mental health services. We now know that good menta...
Article
Full-text available
Objective In support of a whole-school approach to mental health promotion, this study was conducted to find out whether and how significantly teachers’ satisfaction with school and their subjective psychological well-being are related to the belief that they can help pupils with mental health problems. Design Cross-sectional data were collected a...
Article
The present study attempted to assess the complex role of several suicide risk and protective factors in Ukraine.Methods Suicide rates, prevalence of alcoholism and alcoholic psychosis, prevalence of drug addictions, percentage of urban population and gross regional product for 26 provinces of Ukraine were obtained from the State Statistical Office...
Article
The presentation will give an overview of the Estonian language websites that users are likely to find when seeking suicide related information on the web. The material for the study was collected within the EC Public Health Programme project SUPREME (Suicide Prevention by Internet and Media Based Mental Health Promotion).Sixty search hits were exa...
Article
According to previous studies the prevalence of adolescent depression is 4–8% both in the USA and Europe. The aim of the current study was to investigate the prevalence of adolescent depression separately in several European countries.Method Data were drawn from the Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) study, which included 11 countr...
Article
Full-text available
The aim of the current systematic review was to monitor and provide an overview of the research performed about the roles of media in suicide prevention in order to find out possible effects media reporting on suicidal behaviours might have on actual suicidality (completed suicides, attempted suicides, suicidal ideation). The systematic review was...
Article
Full-text available
Background The Awareness program was designed as a part of the EU-funded Saving and Empowering Young Lives in Europe (SEYLE) intervention study to promote mental health of adolescents in 11 European countries by helping them to develop problem-solving skills and encouraging them to self-recognize the need for help as well as how to help peers in ne...
Article
Full-text available
Background: Suicide is a leading cause of death among youth. In the year 2002, Lithuania had the 2nd, Luxembourg the 5th, and Estonia the 9th highest suicide rates among 15- to 19-year-olds across 90 countries worldwide. Suicidal ideation is a significant precursor to suicide. Aims: To report on the prevalence of and associations between suicidal i...
Article
Full-text available
Aims: To investigate the prevalence of pathological internet use (PIU) and maladaptive internet use (MIU) among adolescents in 11 European countries in relation to demographic, social factors and internet accessibility. Design: Cross-sectional survey. Setting: The 7th Framework European Union (EU) funded project, Saving and Empowering Young Li...
Article
Full-text available
Studies report high rates of suicide attempts for female immigrants. This study assesses variations in the distribution of suicide attempts across gender in immigrant and non-immigrant groups in Europe. Method: Data on 64 native and immigrant groups, including 17 662 local and 3755 immigrant person-cases collected, between 1989 and 2003, in 24 mill...
Article
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Events of extraordinary violence attract media attention. Recently, much media reporting has moved to the Internet, giving readers the possibility to comment online. To analyze the content of public cognitions and the emotional tonality of attitudes expressed in spontaneous Internet comments on a familicide-suicide case reported in the Estonian med...
Article
Full-text available
Yur'yev A, Värnik A, Värnik P, Sisask M, Leppik L. Role of social welfare in European suicide prevention The aims of this study were to assess the relationship between suicide mortality and social expenditure in 26 European countries, explore attitudes towards welfare systems and their relationship with suicide mortality, and compare attitudes towa...
Article
Full-text available
Large variation exists between the suicide mortality rates of different countries as presented in WHO Health for all database. Various explanations have been proposed for these differences in national rates. A major contribution to the theory of suicide was made by Émile Durkheim. He found suicide to be correlated with social phenomena such as fami...
Article
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Background The current study is aimed to assess the relationship between the ‘economic/employment’ and ‘social/welfare’ dimensions of social exclusion and suicide mortality in Europe. Methods Suicide rates for 26 countries were obtained from the WHO. Data on social expenditure were obtained from the OECD database. Employment rates and GDP were obt...
Article
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The suicide rate is a macro indicator of the population's psychosocial wellbeing and an evaluation criterion of the effectiveness of suicide prevention strategies. A high level of injury deaths of undetermined intent (UD) is usually discussed in connection with the validity of suicide statistics. An effort is made to develop a criterion to characte...
Article
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A former army officer unexpectedly killed his wife and two daughters by strangulation and afterwards hanged himself. Psychological autopsy (police investigation, forensic expertise, psychiatric records and interviews) showed how an ordinary young man, functioning well at work and normally in family life, had become a homicide–suicide perpetrator. T...
Article
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This study compares the frequencies of attempted suicide among immigrants and their hosts, between different immigrant groups, and between immigrants and their countries of origin. The material, 27,048 persons, including 4,160 immigrants, was obtained from the WHO/EURO Multicentre Study on Suicidal Behaviour, the largest available European database...
Article
Full-text available
There is a lack of international research on suicide by drug overdose as a preventable suicide method. Sex- and age-specific rates of suicide by drug self-poisoning (ICD-10, X60-64) and the distribution of drug types used in 16 European countries were studied, and compared with other self-poisoning methods (X65-69) and intentional self-injury (X70-...