Affiliation:
1. Department of Counseling & Clinical Psychology Teachers College – Columbia University New York New York USA
2. Department of Biomedical Informatics Columbia University Irving Medical Center New York New York USA
Abstract
AbstractBackgroundSuicide plans (SP) can be a common precipitant to suicidal behavior (SB) during adolescence, and SPs can vary in how specific they are, how frequently they are thought about, and how strongly they are intended to be enacted. To date, we have limited understanding of how discrete SP characteristics (i.e., specificity, frequency, and intent to act) present among adolescents, and whether they relate to SB. In the current study, we investigated SP characteristics and their association with SB history among adolescents who had previously considered suicide.MethodsParticipants were 142 community‐based adolescents (14–19 years; M = 17.6, SD = 1.4) who reported a history of suicidal ideation. Adolescents provided responses pertaining to their SP history, SP characteristics, and SB history, via the Self‐Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview‐Revised (SITBI‐R).ResultsGreater specificity, frequency, and intent were each associated with modestly increased odds of reporting an SB history. The associations between plan specificity and SB history, as well as between frequency of thinking about one's SP and SB history, were mediated by adolescents' intent to act on their SP.ConclusionsIt may not only be whether, but how, adolescents plan for suicide that relates to their tendency to engage in SB.
Funder
National Institute of Mental Health
Teachers College
Subject
Psychiatry and Mental health,Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health,Clinical Psychology