Risk of Future Suicide Attempts in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients at 18-month Follow-up

This study investigated potential predictors of suicidal behavior in adolescents during an 18‐month follow‐up period. Subjects included 60 adolescent psychiatric inpatients initially assessed in a private psychiatric hospital. Follow‐up suicidality was most strongly predicted by high intake levels of hopelessness, and an increase in or persistent problems with depression during follow‐up. Some family functioning variables measured at intake were predictive of suicidal behavior at the univariate level but did not add to the predictive ability of individual functioning variables. A mediational model was proposed in which the impact of family functioning on adolescent suicidality is mediated by its impact on individual functioning.