Adolescent Suicide Attempters Hospitalized on a Pediatric Unit

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Abstract
Adolescent suicide is becoming of increasing concern. Many adolescent suicide attempters are admitted to a general pediatric medical center for immediate medical treatment. During such an admission, decisions regarding the patients' emotional status and appropriate disposition must be made. Unfortunately, there are few empirical data to guide the clinician in making these decisions. The present study is an attempt to identify important characteristics and psychological status of suicide attempters hospitalized on a pediatric floor. Seventy-one adolescents admitted to a general pediatrics unit following a suicide attempt requiring medical treatment were compared to a matched sample of adolescents referred for psychiatric consultation while hospitalized for a variety of conditions. The patients were compared on historical risk factors believed associated with adolescent suicide attempts and self-report measures of depression and hopelessness. A significant difference was found only on past psychiatric history. Further analyses accor ding to the suicide attempter's toxicity of overdose, psychiatric history, and disposition status also revealed few significant differences. Results are discussed in terms of the need to select appropriate control groups for studies on adolescent suicide attempters and differences between attempters hospitalized in pediatric versus psychiatric settings.