PS 1995; 46:915-918
Copyright © 1995 by American Psychiatric Association
Suicide contagion among adolescents during acute psychiatric hospitalization
CA King, R Franzese, S Gargan, L McGovern, N Ghaziuddin and MW Naylor
Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical Center, Ann Arbor 48109, USA.
OBJECTIVE: The study investigated whether exposure to other suicidal
adolescents led to suicide contagion among patients hospitalized on an
acute adolescent psychiatry unit. It also examined whether some adolescents
express more suicidality during hospitalization than before admission.
METHODS: Fifty-seven adolescents with a range of diagnoses admitted to a
university-based psychiatric inpatient unit were assessed for suicidality
at hospital admission and discharge using the Spectrum of Suicide Behavior
scale and the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire-Jr. Suicidal intent or
behavior was the primary reason for admission of 58 percent of the
patients. RESULTS: Despite many patients' severe suicide risk at hospital
admission, 94 percent expressed no active suicidal intent and engaged in no
behavior that could be considered suicidal during hospitalization. Four
patients engaged in possibly suicidal, self-cutting behaviors; however,
these incidents did not cluster in time. Fourteen patients (26 percent)
expressed a significant increase in suicidal ideation during
hospitalization, but the increase was not associated with study measures of
exposure to other suicidal adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Contagion of suicidal
behaviors may not be a frequent or significant problem on acute adolescent
inpatient units, although the phenomenon of increased suicidal ideation
among some inpatients warrants further study.
