title: Does the Transmissible Liability Index (TLI) assessed in late childhood predict suicidal symptoms at young adulthood?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Our previous work demonstrated that the Transmissible Liability Index (TLI), an instrument designed as an index of liability for substance use disorder (SUD), is associated with risk of substance use disorder. This longitudinal study assessed whether TLI measured in 10-12-year-olds (late childhood) predicts suicidal behavior from age 12-14 (preadolescence) to age 25 (young adulthood). We hypothesized that TLI would predict number and severity of suicide attempts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were sons of men who had lifetime history of SUD (n = 250), called the High Average Risk (HAR) group, and sons of men with no lifetime history of a SUD (n = 250), called the Low Average Risk (LAR) group. The TLI was delineated at baseline (age 10-12), and age-specific versions were administered at 12-14, 16, 19, 22, and 25 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  TLI was significantly associated with number and severity of lifetime suicide attempts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings confirm the hypothesis that TLI assessed at late childhood is a predictor of frequency and severity of suicidal behavior from preadolescence to young adulthood.
authors.affiliation: Center for Education and Drug Abuse Research (CEDAR), University of Pittsburgh , Pittsburgh, PA , USA.
authors.forename: Jack R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Cornelius
authors.forename: Levent
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kirisci
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vanyukov
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D059020:Suicidal Ideation; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Transmissible Liability Index (TLI); suicide; young adults