DIAGNOSTIC MORBIDITY AND ITS RELATIONSHIP TO SEVERITY OF IDEATION FORA NONPSYCHIATRIC SAMPLE OF CHRONIC AND SEVERE SUICIDE IDEATORS

This study examined the relationships of frequency and type of psychia tric diagnosis to suicidality within a sample of chronically and sever ely ideating college-aged students (N = 78). The most common diagnoses were the depressive disorders, comprising 43% of all diagnoses, follo wed by anxiety disorders, comprising 17% of all diagnoses. Retrospecti ve reports of childhood diagnoses were also quite common, comprising 3 8% of all diagnoses. Number of psychiatric diagnoses was significantly correlated with severity of suicidal ideation (r = .27, p < .02). Hie rarchical regression analyses revealed that retrospective childhood di agnoses of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and separat ion anxiety disorder significantly predicted 19% of the variance in se verity of suicidal ideation after controlling for current diagnoses of major depression and PTSD. When entry of childhood and current diagno ses were reversed, PTSD significantly predicted 4% of the variance in severity of suicidal ideation, while major depression was rendered non significant. Severe suicide ideation, therefore, may be a product of e arly psychological problems as well as the number of such problems.