The Relative Contribution of Diagnostic and Psychosocial Variables to Severity of Suicidal Ideation

This study examined the relative contribution of diagnostic & psychosocial factors to the prediction of severity of suicide ideation in a sample of 78 college students. Using hierarchical regression analyses to control for each set of factors, psychosocial factors were found to predict consistently level of suicide ideation. In contrast, diagnostic variables including diagnosis of substance abuse & composite scores for depression & anxiety were unrelated to level of suicidality. An examination of individual diagnoses revealed no predictable relationships with severity of suicidality in this population. Results are discussed from several methodological viewpoints. (28 refs.) JA