THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LETHALITY OF ATTEMPTED-SUICIDE AND PRIOR SUICIDAL COMMUNICATIONS IN A SAMPLE OF RESIDENTIAL YOUTH

Some type of suicidal communication precedes 80% of attempted and comp leted suicides in adolescents. This study investigates the relationshi p between the number of suicidal communications prior to an attempt an d the lethality of the attempt in a sample of adolescent youth residin g in a residential treatment facility. The sample consisted of 46 yout h who had a suicide attempt while in a large group home residential fa cility over a 9-year period. Results indicated that attempters who mad e fewer suicidal communications beforehand tended to use more lethal m ethods in their attempts. Attempters with two or more preceding suicid al communications had significantly lower lethality in their attempts than did those with fewer suicidal communications. Few differences eme rged between the groups in regards to demographic or psychosocial vari ables. (C) 1998 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adol escents.