Suicidal Ideation in Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire in a Clinical Sample

The psychometric properties of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ; W. M. Reynolds, 1987 ) were evaluated in a clinical sample of adolescents ages 13-18 years identified as suicide ideators ( n = 67), attempters ( n = 88), and psychiatric controls ( n = 71). Results indicate that the SIQ is an internally consistent measure of 1 primary dimension of suicidal cognition and that it differentiates between hospitalized suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents and those with and without mood disorders. Critical items indicating specific suicidal cognitions were empirically identified, and a cutoff score of 20 was found to have optimal clinical utility. The SIQ appears to be a sound measure for clinical and research assessment of suicidal cognition in adolescents.