commit suicide each year. As a leading cause of death, suicide ranks third for persons in the 15 24 age group (Bureau of the Census, 1991, p. 111).
Kazdin, French, Unis, Esveldt Dawson, and Sherick (1983, pp. 504 510) found a strong positive correlation between hopelessness and depression measures in eight year old to 13 year old psychiatric inpatients. They also found a strong negative correlation between hopelessness and self esteem measures in these subjects.
When both hopelessness and depression were included as variables, (Kazdin, French, Unis, Esveldt Dawson, and Sherick, 1983, pp. 504 510) found a strong correlation with suicide attempts/suicide ideation. The researchers had previously found no differences between suicide attempters and suicide ideators with respect to hopelessness and depressive measures; therefore, for analytical purposes, suicide attempters and suicide ideators were combined into a single group.
When depressive measures were controlled, (Kazdin, French, Unis, Esveldt Dawson, and Sheric
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