STATE AND TRAIT ANXIETY IN ADOLESCENT SUICIDE ATTEMPTERS

Objective: To examine the relationship between anxiety and suicidal be havior in adolescents. Method: Forty-six adolescents who had been hosp italized in an inpatient psychiatric unit after a suicide attempt were compared on measures of anxiety and depression with 72 adolescent psy chiatric inpatients who had no history of suicide attempts. Results: T he suicide attempters exhibited significantly higher levels of both st ate and trait anxiety. However, when controlling for depression, the a ttempters did not differ in their level of state anxiety from the nona ttempters, but they still manifested significantly higher levels of tr ait anxiety than nonattempters. Conclusions: The results suggest that anxiety, both state and trait, is a risk factor for suicidal behavior in adolescents. Yet, only trait anxiety appears to be relatively indep endent of depression in its effect on suicidal behavior risk. These fi ndings imply that clinicians should take into account anxiety, both st ate and trait, for assessment and treatment of adolescents at risk for suicidal behavior.