Ismail S, Odland ML, Malik A, et al. - Researchers examined how adolescents’ mental health and psychosocial circumstances associate with occurrence of serious injuries (intentional and unintentional), which is reported to be the leading cause of deaths from preventable or treatable causes, with the aim to suggest potential points of intervention to improve outcomes.

• From the Global School-based Student Health Survey conducted between 2009 and 2015, cross-sectional survey data were retrieved and included in this secondary analysis.

• Included were a total of 87,269 adolescents living in 26 countries.

• An increase in serious injuries was observed in strong correlation with both factors and behaviors such as being bullied and using drugs as well as indicators of poor mental health such as being too worried to sleep or having attempted suicide.

• Factors hypothesized to be protective, such as having close friends or understanding family members or guardians, did not appear to be significantly linked with the occurrence of serious injury; however factors in the highest categories linked with an increase in serious injuries.

• Across world regions and countries with different income status, similar relationships were observed between psychosocial circumstances and injury.