NCJ Number
229968
Journal
Journal of Youth and Adolescence Volume: 39 Issue: 3 Dated: March 2010 Pages: 219-232
Date Published
March 2010
Length
14 pages
Annotation
Using survival analyses, this study investigated whether and by how much the occurrence of an adolescent's suicide attempt during the 1-year period following hospitalization due to a suicide attempt could be predicted by the parent's history of mental health problems and additional indexes of adolescent funtioning.
Abstract
This longitudinal study of recently hospitalized suicidal youth examined parental mental health history in addition to several indices of adolescent functioning as risk factors for time-to-suicide attempt over a 1-year period. Participants were 352 adolescents (253 girls, 99 boys; ages 13-17 years) who participated in self-report and interview assessments within 1 week of hospitalization and 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months post-hospitalization. Multivariable proportional hazards regression modeled time-to-suicide attempt. Results indicate that adolescents were almost twice as likely to make a suicide attempt if they had at least one biological parent with mental health problems. Risk was also increased for adolescents with baseline histories of multiple previous suicide attempts, more severe suicidal ideation and more severe functional impairment. Findings suggest the need to consider the family system when intervening with suicidal youth. Tables, figure, and references (Published Abstract)