Anxiety contributes to suicidality in depressed adolescents

✍ Scribed by Neera Ghaziuddin; Cheryl A. King; Michael W. Naylor; Mohammad Ghaziuddin

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2000
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 65 KB
• Volume: 11
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1091-4269
• DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1520-6394(2000)11:3<134::aid-da9>3.0.co;2-v

✦ Synopsis

Several studies have suggested a positive association between anxiety symptoms and suicidality in adults. However, relatively little is known about this topic in adolescents. To investigate this issue, we examined a group of adolescents admitted to our psychiatric inpatient unit. Fifty-six adolescents (mean age = 14.8±1.4; females = 34, males = 22; race = 95% Caucasians) participated in the study. Diagnoses were made using the DSM-III-R criteria and a diagnostic interview. Anxiety was found to significantly correlate with depression (r = .60; P = < .05) and suicidality (r = .72; P < .05). A multiple regression analysis revealed that anxiety and depression together accounted for more than half (55%) of the variance in suicidal ideation [F(2,46) = 28.4; P < .0001]. In addition, anxiety had an independent ability to predict suicidality (t = 5.01; P < .0001). Self-rated but not clinician-rated suicidality was positively correlated with both anxiety and depression. Clinical and research implications of these findings are discussed. Depression and Anxiety

11:134-138, 2000.