THE ROLE OF DRUGS AND ALCOHOL IN URBAN MINORITY ADOLESCENT SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

This study examined psychopathology and substance use in 15 African Am erican adolescents who attempted suicide and 15 African American adole scents who did not attempt suicide (control group). Both groups of ado lescents and their parents completed questionnaires that addressed dep ression, behavior problems, family functioning, and drug and alcohol u se. On the basis of group means of the Children's Depression Inventory (Kovacs & Beck, 1977), the Youth Self-Report (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1987), and the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1983), the suicidal youth were found to have a significant level of depressi on in addition to a variety of internalizing and externalizing behavio r disorders. Similarly on the Multigating Substance Use Evaluation Sys tem (Jurkovic & Bruce, 1991), the suicidal youth were at a high risk f or alcohol and drug abuse. The suicidal group reported more alcohol an d drug abuse than the control group. The results indicated that suicid al African American adolescents used significant amounts of drugs and alcohol, which may be associated with suicide attempts.