Predictive factors of post-discharge follow-up care among adolescent suicide attempters

Objective: To study short-term compliance with follow-up care in a sample o f adolescent suicide attempters. Method: One hundred and sixty-seven adolescents, aged from 13-18 years and hospitalized after a suicide attempt, completed a questionnaire that includ ed the CES-Depression Scale and Zung Anxiety Scale. Physicians assessed the hospital care immediately after the attempt, and post-discharge care plans . Three months later, adolescents were contacted by telephone and asked abo ut follow-up care. Results: After 3 months, 91.6% of the adolescents could be contacted: 25.5% never attended any follow-up; 11.1% went only once; 31.4% missed some appo intments; and 32.0% went to all their scheduled appointments. Adolescents w ho complied with follow-up care differed significantly from those who did n ot: they showed more depression, anxiety and illicit drug use at the time o f the attempt; they had more often planned the attempt; they were hospitali zed longer; and they met with a psychiatrist more often while hospitalized. Compliance was also better when the follow-up appointment was scheduled be fore discharge. Conclusion: Compliance with post-discharge follow-up care depends upon the adolescent's psychopathology but may also be improved by the type of hospit al care and post-discharge plans.