Disclosure of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors Among Adolescent Psychiatric Inpatients: Differences by Sexual and...

Rates of adolescent suicide have risen over the last 10 years, creating a public health crisis. Disclosure of suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) is one help-seeking strategy available to adolescents. Estimates from prior studies on the frequency of youth STB disclosure vary considerably. It is crucial to understand patterns and rates of STB disclosure for youth at elevated risk for suicide, including those who have been psychiatrically hospitalized or who hold sexual and gender minority (SGM) status. To examine STB disclosure in this high-risk population, the current study examined self-report of STB disclosure behaviors, including to whom, how, and when disclosure occurred, as well as the outcome of the disclosure in a sample of psychiatrically hospitalized youth with prior STBs (N=163). Data showed that the most common recipients of disclosures were caregivers, health professionals, and in-person friends. The most frequently endorsed method of disclosure was doing so in person, and there were no significant differences in when adolescents disclosed STBs (before, during, or after the experience). SGM adolescents were half as likely as non-SGM adolescents to disclose to parents or caregivers, and SGM adolescents disclosed more often during the STB than non-SGM youth. These findings can inform future interventions targeted at reducing STBs in youth or increasing help-seeking behaviors for psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents.