Rehospitalization of suicidal adolescents in relation to course of suicidal ideation and future suicide attempts.

Psychiatric hospitalization is essential in the clinical management of suicidal adolescents, and a considerable number of hospitalized adolescents are rehospitalized, yet little is known about how this experience may influence postdischarge outcomes. This study examined the association between rehospitalization within three months of index hospitalization and subsequent suicide attempts and suicidal ideation among adolescents. Rehospitalization predicted a more severe course of suicide ideation for most of the adolescents, but it was protective for only a smaller subgroup with subclinical levels of ideation at index hospitalization. Our findings also suggest that rehospitalization is a strong indicator of future risk of suicide attempt. These findings have important implications for intervening with rehospitalized adolescents.

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