Suicidal Ideation in Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients as Associated With Depression and Attachment Relationships

Suicidal ideation in 59 adolescent psychiatric inpatients was examined as associated with depressive symptoms & attachment to parents & peers. Attachment to mother accounted for significant variation in levels of depressive symptoms & suicidal ideation. Attachment to peers accounted for significant variation in suicidal ideation & girls’, but not boys’, depressive symptoms. After adjusting for depressive symptoms, attachment variables failed to contribute additional variance in suicidal ideation. Self-reported depressive symptomatology remained the strongest predictor of suicidal ideation, regardless of its order in the regression analyses. (73 refs.)