Suicidal behavior among middle-class adolescents who seek crisis services.
The goal of this study was to assess suicidal behavior and risk factors among 1,616 predominantly middle-class adolescents who were seeking crisis services, either residential or nonresidential. Across recruitment sites, 22.1% reported a past suicide attempt; half reported suicidal ideation in the month prior to seeking services. Attempters were significantly more likely than nonattempters to report suicidal ideation (64.2%), family suicidal behavior (50.5%), and more than twice as likely to have been depressed (37.3%), frequently used alcohol (13.2%), frequently used drugs (10.6%), run away (30.9%), belonged to a gang (6.1%), and destroyed property (5.8%). Suicidal behavior among predominantly White, middle-class adolescents who have sought crisis services appears similar to patterns found among minority youths in Los Angeles and New York City.
Rotheram-Borus
M J
MJ
Neuropsychiatric Institute, University of California, Los Angeles 90024, USA.
Walker
J U
JU
Ferns
W
W
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003419:Crisis Intervention; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology; D014481:United States; D000092864:Suicide Prevention