Am J Psychiatry 1985; 142:588-592
Copyright © 1985 by American Psychiatric Association
Depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior in adolescents
DR Robbins and NE Alessi
Depressive symptoms and suicidal behavior in 64 adolescent psychiatric
patients were assessed by a structured interview and the Schedule for
Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. The medical seriousness of suicidal
behavior was associated with conscious intent to die and with the number of
previous nonlethal suicide attempts. Suicidal behavior was associated with
depressed mood, negative self-evaluation, anhedonia, insomnia, poor
concentration, indecisiveness, lack of reactivity of mood, psychomotor
disturbance, and alcohol and drug abuse. The results suggest that
adolescents can be reliable reporters of their suicide potential and that
clinicians need to be sensitive to symptoms of major depressive disorder in
assessing potentially suicidal adolescents.
