Reexamining Adolescent Suicidal Ideation: a Developmental Perspective Applied to a Diverse Population

The hypothesis that suicidal ideation is a common experience in a general population of urban high school students residing in low-income neighbourhoods was tested. Ideation was not found to vary by ethnicity. However, females, substance users, those with greater tolerance toward suicide, higher family coping, & lower self-esteem were more likely to report ideation. Results raise the question of whether it is time to rethink the relationship between ideation & normal adolescent development.