SUICIDAL IDEATION IN ADOLESCENTS - PSYCHOMETRIC PROPERTIES OF THE SUICIDAL IDEATION QUESTIONNAIRE IN A CLINICAL-SAMPLE

The psychometric properties of the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SI Q; W.M. Reynolds, 1987) were evaluated in a clinical sample of adolesc ents ages 13-18 years identified as suicide ideators (n = 67), attempt ers (n = 88), and psychiatric controls (n = 71). Results indicate that the SIQ is an internally consistent measure of 1 primary dimension of suicidal cognition and that it differentiates between hospitalized su icidal and nonsuicidal adolescents and those with and without mood dis orders. Critical items indicating specific suicidal cognitions were em pirically identified, and a cutoff score of 20 was found to have optim al clinical utility. The SIQ appears to be a sound measure for clinica l and research assessment of suicidal cognition in adolescents.