NCJ Number
139478
Journal
Behaviour Research and Therapy Volume: 30 Issue: 5 Dated: (September 1992) Pages: 537-542
Date Published
1992
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This study examined which, if any, of four variables (depression, hopelessness, conduct problems, substance abuse) differentiated those who attempted suicide from those who did not among incarcerated juvenile delinquents.
Abstract
The participants were 51 male juvenile delinquents incarcerated in youth detention centers in Georgia. Fifteen of the juveniles reported having made at least one suicide attempt, and 36 reported never having made a suicide attempt. Instruments used in the study were the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children and the Hopelessness Scale for Children. Of the proposed independent variables, the number of symptoms of depression was the best indicator of suicide attempts. The relationship between these two measures is not surprising, since suicidal behavior is a concomitant of depression, and depression has been shown to be related to suicide attempts in earlier studies. This finding held true only for white youth in the current study. Not only did black and white youth differ in regard to the relationship between depression and suicide attempts, they also differed in the rate of making attempts. The higher rate of suicide attempts by white youth in this study is consistent with research on other populations. There is evidence that black clients are less likely to disclose personal information to a white therapist than are white clients. Findings suggest that white youth who evidence a number of symptoms of depression should be considered at high risk for making a suicide attempt. Additionally, the evidence strongly suggests that future research that involves juvenile delinquents and suicide attempts should examine, or at least control for, racial differences. 1 table and 25 references