Correlates of Suicidal Ideation and Attempts in a Community Sample of Junior High and High School Students

A questionnaire was administered to 1,384 junior & senior high school students. Results indicated 36% of these students had experienced suicidal thoughts in the past year & 7% reported having made a suicide attempt. Nearly half of the students experiencing extremely troubling suicidal ideation reported having made an attempt. Females, ninth graders, & students of low socioeconomic status were most at risk for suicidal ideation, whereas females & low socioeconomic status students were most at risk for suicide attempts. Ideation & attempts were associated with more negative life events, lower levels of family support, & lower levels of adjustment. (31 refs.)