© 2002 Oxford University Press
In Thought, Word, and Deed: Suicidal Behaviors of Adjudicated Youth
From the Graduate School of Social Work at Portland State University.
Contact author: Kevin Corcoran, PhD, JD, Professor, Graduate School of Social Work, University Center Building, Portland State University, Portland, OR 97207. E-mail: corcorank{at}pdx.edu.
This study examines suicide ideation, plans, and attempts by youth in two juvenile justice settings: incarcerated youth (n = 83) and youth with community service sentences (n = 144). The incarcerated sample reported 51% suicide ideation while the community sample reported 22%. For both samples, suicide contemplators were quite likely (6070%) to have a suicide plan, while about 35% reported a suicide attempt in the past 12 months. Contemplators were distinguishable from noncontemplators on scores for external problems of delinquency and aggression, internal problems of anxiety, depression, withdrawal and somatic complaints, general depression, and general health status. The results have implications for assessment, triage, and brief treatment in juvenile justice settings.
KEY WORDS: suicide, suicide ideation, adjudicated youths, juvenile justice, external problems, mental health services, assessment, diagnosis, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorders