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An array of psychosocial risk factors for making a suicide attempt were examined in a representative sample of 1,508 older (14- to 18-year-old) high school students, 26 of whom made a suicide attempt during the year following entry into the study. Strongest predictors of future suicide attempt were history of past attempt, current suicidal ideation and depression, recent attempt by a friend, low self-esteem, and having been born to a teenage mother. The results suggest that adolescents who are depressed and those who attempt suicide share many psychosocial risk factors. The efficacy of two screeners (one consisting of 4 items and the other of 6 variables) is reported. Potential usefulness for research and communitywide prevention is discussed.
Lewinsohn et al. (Sat,) studied this question.