Suicidal Ideation in an Adolescent Clinical Sample: Attachment Patterns and Clinical Implications

This study investigated the relationship between attachment patterns & suicidal ideation in a clinical sample of 116 adolescents. Participants were assessed on level of current ideation through self-report questionnaires. Lethality of methods contemplated was also rated on a subset of 16 youth. Categorical analyses indicated that youth with predominantly fearful or preoccupied attachment were more likely to endorse suicidal ideation than were predominantly secure or dismissing youth. Severity of suicidal ideation was positively correlated with ratings of fearfulness & negatively correlated with ratings on the secure & dismissing patterns. Greater lethality in methods contemplated was positively correlated with preoccupied tendencies. Implications for therapeutic intervention are presented. (46 refs.)