ate analysis which revealed that female gender, sexual abuse, and emotional neglect remained significant predictors of both self-mutilation behavior and suicidal ideation. Based on these findings, Lipschitz and associates concluded that emotional neglect was one of a more powerful predictors of suicidal behavior in hospitalized adolescents than physical abuse, emotional abuse, and physical neglect.
An interesting study of suicide ideation and suicide attempts in children and adolescents aged nine to 17 years was conducted by Gould, King, Greenwald, Fisher, Schwab-Stone, Kramer, Flisher, Goodman, Canino and Shaffer (1998). Of the sample of 109 young people, 42 had attempted suicide and 67 had expressed suicidal ideation only. In depth interview data collected from youths and their parents Youths and their parents were analyzed using logistic regress analyses.
Findings were said to show that mood, anxiety, and substance abuse/dependence disorders independently increased the risk of suicide attempts, after controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. Further, substance abuse/dependence independently differentiated suicide attempters from ideators.
It was also observed that other symptoms that remained significant predictors of suicide risk, after adjusting for psychiatric disorder, included panic attacks and aggressiveness with these symptom being stronger predictors for males and for older youths.
A comprehensive examination of the general research on risk factors for suicidal behavior in young people was compiled by Brent (1995). Examined studies included psychological, autopsy studies, longitudinal and epidemiologic research on suicide attempts. In particular, the authors were interested in psychopathologic risk factors such as affective, disruptive, substance abuse, psychotic, and personality disorders. Findings showed that as familial risk factors and stress levels increased, youth were more likely to commit su...