SUICIDALITY AND COGNITIVE VULNERABILITY TO DEPRESSION AMONG COLLEGE-STUDENTS - A PROSPECTIVE-STUDY

Using a behavioral high-risk two-site prospective design, we tested th e cognitive vulnerability hypotheses about suicidality. Consistent wit h prediction, the high cognitive risk (HR) participants were more like ly than the low cognitive risk (LR) participants to exhibit suicidalit y, measured by both structured diagnostic interview and questionnaire self-report, during the 2 1/2 year prospective follow-up period. Moreo ver, when the prospective period was examined as a whole, the mediatio n hypothesis derived from the cognitive theories was strongly supporte d. Hopelessness appeared to mediate the obtained relationship between cognitive vulnerability and suicidality. Finally, the obtained relatio nship between cognitive vulnerability and suicidality was not mediated by other hypothesized risk factors for suicidality not specified in t he cognitive theories, such as past suicidality, personal history of d epressive disorders, borderline and antisocial personality dysfunction , and parental history of depression. (C) 1998 The Association for Pro fessionals in Services for Adolescents.