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One-Year Follow-Up of Suicidal Adolescents: Parental History of Mental Health Problems and Time to Post-Hospitalization Attempt

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Abstract

This longitudinal study of recently hospitalized suicidal youth examined parental mental health history in addition to several indices of adolescent functioning as risk factors for time-to-suicide attempt over a 1-year period. Participants were 352 adolescents (253 girls, 99 boys; ages 13–17 years) who participated in self-report and interview assessments within 1 week of hospitalization and 6 weeks, 3, 6, and 12 months post-hospitalization. Multivariable proportional hazards regression modeled time-to-suicide attempt. Results indicate that adolescents were almost twice as likely to make a suicide attempt if they had at least one biological parent with mental health problems. Risk was also increased for adolescents with baseline histories of multiple previous suicide attempts, more severe suicidal ideation and more severe functional impairment. Findings suggest the need to consider the family system when intervening with suicidal youth.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Sanjeev Venkataraman, M.D., and Paul Quinlan, M.D., for administrative and risk management support; Anne Kramer, MSW, ACSW, Barbara Hanna, Ph.D., and Lois Weisse, R.N., for project management; Ken Guire, M.A. and Joseph Kazemi, M.S., for assistance with data management; and Jean Pletcher, Ryan Hill, and Adam Horwitz for administrative and research assistance. We also thank our research staff, participating inpatient staff, and the families who took part in this study. Please address correspondence to Cheryl A. King, Ph.D., ABPP, Department of Psychiatry, Rachel Upjohn Building, 4250 Plymouth Road, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2700, email: kingca@umich.edu.

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Correspondence to Cheryl A. King.

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King, C.A., Kerr, D.C.R., Passarelli, M.N. et al. One-Year Follow-Up of Suicidal Adolescents: Parental History of Mental Health Problems and Time to Post-Hospitalization Attempt. J Youth Adolescence 39, 219–232 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9480-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-009-9480-2

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