Specificity, frequency, and intent: Multiple characteristics of adolescents’ suicide plan correlate with their history of suicidal behavior

Background Suicide plans (SP) can be a common precipitant to suicidal behavior (SB) during adolescence, and SPs can vary in how specific they are, how frequently they are thought about, and how strongly they are intended to be enacted. To date, we have limited understanding of how discrete SP characteristics (i.e., specificity, frequency, and intent to act) present among adolescents, and whether they relate to SB. In the current study, we investigated SP characteristics and their association with SB history among adolescents who had previously considered suicide. Methods Participants were 142 community-based adolescents (14–19 years; M = 17.6, SD = 1.4) who reported a history of suicidal ideation. Adolescents provided responses pertaining to their SP history, SP characteristics, and SB history, via the Self-Injurious Thoughts and Behaviors Interview-Revised (SITBI-R). Results Greater specificity, frequency, and intent were each associated with modestly increased odds of reporting an SB history. The associations between plan specificity and SB history, as well as between frequency of thinking about one's SP and SB history, were mediated by adolescents' intent to act on their SP. Conclusions It may not only be whether, but how, adolescents plan for suicide that relates to their tendency to engage in SB.