Suicide Attempts Among Formerly Hospitalized Adolescents: a Prospective Naturalistic Study of Risk During the First 5 Years After Discharge

In a prospective naturalistic study, 180 adolescents were assessed at psychiatric hospitalization & semiannually thereafter for up to 5 years after discharge. Approximately 25% of the adolescents attempted suicide & no adolescents completed suicide within the first 5 years after discharge. The first 6 months to 1 year after discharge represented the period of highest risk. The number of prior attempts was the strongest predictor of posthospitalization attempts. (42 refs.)