Suicidality in adjustment disorder--clinical characteristics of adolescent outpatients.
OBJECTIVE
Although a remarkable proportion of adolescents suffering from adjustment disorder (AD) are suicidal, few studies have documented the characteristics of suicidal AD patients. We examined background, psychopathology and treatment-related factors among suicidal adolescent AD outpatients.


METHODS
Data on 302 consecutively referred psychiatric outpatient adolescents, aged 12-22 years, were collected. DSM-III-R diagnoses were assigned at the end of treatment based on all available data. Of the patients 89 received a diagnosis of AD, 25% of whom showed suicide attempts, suicidal threats or ideation.


RESULTS
Compared with non-suicidal AD patients, suicidal AD patients were characterized by previous psychiatric treatment (OR = 6.1), poor psychosocial functioning at treatment entry (OR = 16.2), suicide as a stressor (OR = 33.3), dysphoric mood (OR = 6.9) and psychomotor restlessness (OR = 3.7).


CONCLUSIONS
Common risk factors for suicidality in major psychiatric disorders characterized suicidal AD patients. Psychiatric assessment of AD patients should include careful monitoring of both symptomatology and exposure to suicide of significant others.
Pelkonen
Mirjami
M
Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. Mirjami.Pelkonen@ktl.fi
Marttunen
Mauri
M
Henriksson
Markus
M
Lönnqvist
Jouko
J
D000275:Adjustment Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D039721:Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*