Suicidal ideation in adolescence: Examining the role of recent adverse experiences

• Published in: Journal of adolescence (London, England.) England.), 2012-02, Vol.35 (1), p.175-186
• Main Authors: Thompson, Richard, Proctor, Laura J, English, Diana J, Dubowitz, Howard, Narasimhan, Subasri, Everson, Mark D
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Achievement; Adolescent; Adolescents; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Adverse experiences; At Risk Persons; At risk youth; Behavior Problems; Biological and medical sciences; Child; Child Abuse; Child abuse & neglect; Child Abuse - psychology; Correlation analysis; Developmental psychology; Emotional Abuse; Expectation; Experience; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Male; maltreatment; Medical sciences; Mental health; Multivariate Analysis; Pediatrics; Psychological Distress; Psychological Patterns; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychophysiology; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Risk; Risk Factors; Stress Variables; Suicidal Ideation; Suicide; Suicide, Attempted - psychology; Suicides & suicide attempts; Violence; Violence - psychology; Youth
• ISSN: 0140-1971; 1095-9254
• DOI: 10.1016/j.adolescence.2011.03.003

AbstractAlthough there is a well-known link between adverse experiences and suicidal ideation, there has been little study of the effects of recent adverse experiences on suicidal ideation in teenagers. This study examined the association between recent adverse experiences and suicidal ideation in a sample of 740 at-risk 16-year-old youth in the LONGSCAN studies, as well as potential mediators. 8.9% of the youth reported suicidal ideation. Recent adverse experiences, as a class, were associated with suicidal ideation; both recent physical abuse and recent psychological maltreatment were uniquely associated with suicidal ideation. The links between recent adverse experiences and suicidal ideation were significantly mediated by psychological distress. There were also significant main effect associations between both internalizing behavioral problems and low positive achievement expectations and suicidal ideation. Recent adverse experiences are important in understanding suicidal ideation in high risk youth.