THE OUTCOME OF ADOLESCENT SUICIDE ATTEMPTS

A sample of 265 adolescents hospitalized between 1971 and 1980 in a ps ychiatric unit following a suicide attempt was studied to evaluate out come. After an average of 11.5 years, 48% of the original sample, or 1 27 subjects, could be traced. Thirty-nine per cent of these subjects s howed signs of improvement, 22% appeared to be unchanged and 33% were worse. Substantial dropout rates were found in postdischarge care, onl y 32% of the patients having been followed up for a sufficient amount of time. Fifteen subjects had died, only one of whom from a natural ca use. Of the remaining 14, 5 had committed suicide and 9 had died from unnatural or violent causes other than suicide, the cause of death app earing in all cases to be closely linked to the subject's adolescent d isorders. The implications of these findings for suicide prevention ar e discussed.