Psychotic symptoms and population risk for suicide attempt: A prospective cohort study.

Objective To assess psychotic symptoms (attenuated or frank) as a clinical marker of risk for suicide attempt.
Design, Setting, and Participants Prospective cohort study of 1112 school-based adolescents (aged 13-16 years), assessed at baseline and at 3 and 12 months for self-reported psychopathology, psychotic symptoms, and suicide attempts.
Main Outcomes and Measures Suicide attempts at the 3- and 12-month follow-up and acute suicide attempts (defined as those occurring in the 2 weeks before an assessment).
Conclusions and Relevance Adolescents with psychopathology who report psychotic symptoms are at clinical high risk for suicide attempts. More careful clinical assessment of psychotic symptoms (attenuated or frank) in mental health services and better understanding of their pathological significance are urgently needed.

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