Current Suicide Proneness and Past Suicidal Behavior in Adjudicated Adolescents

Youth recently assigned to probation (n = 233) were assessed for current suicide proneness, depression, and hopelessness, as well as for recent suicide ideation, previous suicide ideation, or suicide attempt(s). The Life Attitudes Schedule-Short Form (LAS-SF) was used to assess suicide proneness. As per the LAS-SF, suicide proneness was defined broadly to include current engagement in overtly suicidal behavior as well as in risk-taking and potentially injury-producing behaviors, coupled with a lack of engagement in health and safety behaviors, or self-enhancement behaviors. As expected, current suicide proneness was significantly associated with a history of suicide ideation and attempts, recent ideation, and current depression and hopelessness for adjudicated youth. Gender differences were obtained between the strength of the association between suicide proneness and depressive symptoms. A subgroup of adjudicated youth (n = 39) was then interviewed about their suicidal behaviors. Among other things, these youth indicated that the majority of their previous suicide attempts were committed impulsively.