Citation

Clum GA, Weaver TL. J. Psychopathol. Behav. Assess. 1997; 19(3): 191-206.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1997, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/BF02229178

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This study examined the relationships of frequency and type of psychiatric diagnosis to suicidality within a sample of chronically and severely ideating college-aged students (N = 78). The most common diagnoses were the depressive disorders, comprising 43% of all diagnoses, followed by anxiety disorders, comprising 17% of all diagnoses. Retrospective reports of childhood diagnoses were also quite common, comprising 38% of all diagnoses. Number of psychiatric diagnoses was significantly correlated with severity of suicidal ideation (r =.27, p <.02). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that retrospective childhood diagnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and separation anxiety disorder significantly predicted 19% of the variance in severity of suicidal ideation after controlling for current diagnoses of major depression and PTSD. When entry of childhood and current diagnoses were reversed, PTSD significantly predicted 4% of the variance in severity of suicidal ideation, while major depression was rendered nonsignificant. Severe suicide ideation, therefore, may be a product of early psychological problems as well as the number of such problems.

Language: en

Keywords

Adolescents; Diagnosis; Prediction; Suicidality