Adolescent suicide: A critical review

Abstract

Within the framework of the methodological problems that plague research in suicide, a comprehensive review of the empirical research literature on adolescent suicide is presented. Behavioral, familial/parental, cognitive, psychopathological, and demographic characteristics discriminating adolescent suicide attempters from others are reviewed. Suicidal behavior in adolescence is seen as directed primarily toward effecting change in or escape from an interpersonal system. The suicide attempt does appear to be preceded by a variety of cues indicative of conflict. However, research-derived cues, at present, have not discriminated sufficiently the potentially suicidal adolescent from other psychiatric-ally-impaired adolescents, particularly, the nonsuicidal, depressed adolescent.