Suicide Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Suicide, including details on depression, causes, prevention, treatment, help.

Suicidality in adjustment disorder--clinical characteristics of adolescent outpatients.

Pelkonen M, Marttunen M, Henriksson M, Lönnqvist J

Department of Mental Health and Alcohol Research, National Public Health Institute, Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. Mirjami.Pelkonen@ktl.fi

OBJECTIVE: Although a remarkable proportion of adolescents suffering from adjustment disorder (AD) are suicidal, few studies have documented the characteristics of suicidal AD patients. We examined background, psychopathology and treatment-related factors among suicidal adolescent AD outpatients. METHOD: Data on 302 consecutively referred psychiatric outpatient adolescents, aged 12-22 years, were collected. DSM-III-R diagnoses were assigned at the end of treatment based on all available data. Of the patients 89 received a diagnosis of AD, 25% of whom showed suicide attempts, suicidal threats or ideation. RESULTS: Compared with non-suicidal AD patients, suicidal AD patients were characterized by previous psychiatric treatment (OR = 6.1), poor psychosocial functioning at treatment entry (OR = 16.2), suicide as a stressor (OR = 33.3), dysphoric mood (OR = 6.9) and psychomotor restlessness (OR = 3.7). CONCLUSIONS: Common risk factors for suicidality in major psychiatric disorders characterized suicidal AD patients. Psychiatric assessment of AD patients should include careful monitoring of both symptomatology and exposure to suicide of significant others.

Published 16 June 2005 in Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 14(3): 174-80.
Full-text of this article is available online (may require subscription).

© 2004-2008 Suicide Research Today. All Rights Reserved.