Stress, Depression, and Suicide among Students with Learning Disabilities: Assessing the Risk

Abstract

In view of the increasing rates of youth suicide, this article reviews the extant research on stress, depression, and suicide among adolescents with learning disabilities (LD) from the risk resilience perspective. These adolescents may be at increased risk of suicide for two reasons: (a) they suffer from increased rates of depression, or (b) the other correlates of learning disabilities (e.g., impulsivity, deficits in social skills, etc.) may predispose them to higher rates of suicide. The data indicate that certain subgroups of adolescents with learning disabilities (i.e., those with nonverbal learning disabilities and/or those who are less academically adept) manifest higher rates of depression. Also, some evidence exists to support an increased risk of suicide among this population. Methodological problems in suicide research are discussed in light of the need for research on suicide and learning disabilities.