Suicidal Behavior of Adolescents with Behavior Disorders and Their Peers without Disabilities.

Despite the fact that suicide is a major cause of death among adolescents (Centers for Disease Control, 1986; National Center for Health Science, 1989), the suicidal behavior of adoles cents with behavioral/emotional disorders has not been extensively studied. A survey instrument was used to obtain information from adolescents with behavioral/emotional disorders and their peers without disabilities about the frequency of and the rationale behind their suicide ideation and sui cide attempts. Significant differences were found between the adolescents with behavioral/emotion al disorders and their nondisabled peers, as well as differences between the males and the females in each group in the frequency of suicide ideation and suicide attempts. The female adolescents with behavioral/emotional disorders reported high frequencies in both suicide ideation and suicide at tempts. No group or gender differences were found in the rationales offered by the adolescents for suicidal behavior. Implications for teachers, parents, and social service personnel ire discussed, including the need for gender-specific suicide prevention and intervention for adolescents with and without behavioral/emotional disorders. ■ Although suicide is one of the major causes of adolescent death (Centers for Disease Con trol, 1986; Kaplan & Sadock, 1988; National Center for Health Science, 1989), the suicidal behavior of adolescents with behavioral/emo tional disorders who are enrolled in public school programs has received only limited at tention by professionals in the field of educa tion. The suicidal behavior of adolescents in treatment programs or in psychiatric hospitals has been studied in much more detail than that of adolescents who are in public school pro grams for students with behavioral/emotional disorders (Reynolds, 1984). Moreover, few studies offer comparisons of the suicidal be havior of adolescents with behavioral/emotion al disorders to that of adolescents without dis abilities. In addition, gender differences in suicidal behavior that have emerged from developmen tal and sociological research in the general ad olescent population have yet to be explored among adolescents with behavioral/emotional disorders. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine some of these missing variables and describe the suicidal behavior of adoles cents with behavioral/emotional disorders and their peers without disabilities, with particular attention paid to group similarities and differ ences and gender variation. Due to increasingly open recognition and identification of teen suicide, its pervasive con sequences, and prevalence, the study of suicidal behavior in children and youth has gained the attention of researchers and practitioners. Among adolescents without disabilities, suicide ideation tends to increase with age (Rutter, 1986). Suicide attempts and completions also increase over the developmental years of ado lescence, with females attempting more suicides and males succeeding in completing more sui cide attempts (Andrews & Lewisohn, 1990; Deykin, 1984; Kushner, 1985; Miller, Chiles, & Barnes, 1982; Muse, 1990). Females report higher frequencies of suicide ideation than males and offer different reasons for contem plating suicide ( Harlow, Newcomb, & Bentler, 1986; Rosenthal, 1981; Simons & Murphy, 1985; Sommer, 1984). Emotional problems and delinquent involvement are known predictors of suicide ideation for female adolescents, while employment problems tend to precede the sui cidal thoughts of male adolescents (Cairns, Peterson, & Neckerman, 1988; Peck, 1977; Rosenthal, 1981; Suter, 1976; Tishler, McKen ry, & Morgan, 1981). Research has shown that the incidence of suicide ideation, attempts, and completions is high among adolescents in psychiatric programs and treatment centers (Andrews & Lewisohn, Behavioral Disorders, 1994, 20(1), 61-68 61 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.95 on Sat, 23 Apr 2016 06:28:39 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 1990; Carlson & Cantwell, 1982; Pfeffer & Plut nik, 1982; Pfeffer, Conte, Plutnik, & Jerrett, 1979; Pfeffer, Zuckerman, Plutnik, & Mizruchi, 1984). However, very few studies have examined the incidence of suicidal actions among public school-adolescents with behavioral/emotional disorders. Maag and Behrens (1989) conduct ed a study in the Phoenix public schools that involved subjects with emotional disorders and learning disabilities. No significant differences were found between the students with emotion al disorders and those with learning disabilities, but both groups evidenced moderate to severe levels of depression as measured by the Beck Depression Inventory (Beck & Beck, 1972). This study did not include a comparison group of adolescents without disabilities. Research has also shown that adolescents labeled "seriously emotionally disturbed" tend to exhibit more depressive characteristics than do adolescents without disabilities (Cullinan, Schloss, & Epstein, 1987). Because depression is correlated with suicidal behavior, a higher incidence of suicidal behavior can be expect ed among these adolescents. Examining the suicidal behavior of adoles cents with behavioral/emotional disorders in public school programs is an area which war rants further research. Information is lacking on the prevalence and frequency of suicide ide ation and attempts in this population as well as on differences related to gender. The present study compared through self-report the preva lence of suicidal behavior of public school ad olescents labeled "behaviorally disordered" or "seriously emotionally disturbed" with ado lescents without disabilities. It was theorized that group differences would exist, and such data might inform parents and professionals working in suicide prevention and crisis in tervention.