title: Can adolescent suicide attempters be distinguished from at-risk adolescents?
abstract: Psychiatric disorders, psychosocial dysfunction, family pathology, and environmental stressors are thought to be risk factors for adolescent suicide attempts. Variables from each of these categories were examined, by means of a structured interview and questionnaires, to determine whether a group of 21 adolescent suicide attempters could be differentiated from a group of 34 normal control subjects and a group of 15 at-risk adolescents (teenagers with known risk factors but without recent suicide attempt). The attempters differed significantly from control subjects on a large number of variables, particularly in the areas of substance abuse, depression, self-image, interpersonal relationships, communication patterns, family support, and problem behaviors. Only three items--the Beck Hopelessness Scale score, the SCL-90-R Positive Symptom Distress Index, and a history of suicidal ideation--differentiated the attempters from the at-risk adolescents. A discriminant analysis revealed that hopelessness and suicidal ideation were able to identify 93% of the suicide attempters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Evanston Hospital, Northwestern University Medical Center, Illinois.
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Swedo
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rettew
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuppenheimer
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Lum
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dolan
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Goldberger
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D004777:Environment; D005190:Family; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011610:Psychosocial Deprivation; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires