Association between multiple suicide attempts and negative affects in adolescents

To compare the level of negative emotions-anxiety, depression, aggression, and impulsivity-in hospitalized adolescents with a history of either a single or multiple suicide attempts.

Thirty-two adolescents hospitalized for a first suicide attempt, 19 hospitalized for a repeated attempt (fifth or more), 109 nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients, and 85 community controls were assessed for level of depression, anxiety, aggression, and impulsivity with the Beck Depression Inventory, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Multidimensional Anger Inventory, and the Suicide Potential Scale.

Both suicidal groups demonstrated higher levels of most of the negative emotions than both the normal controls and the nonsuicidal inpatients. When the first attempters were compared with the multiple attempters, similarly high levels were noted for most dimensions of anxiety and depression. A trend toward increased aggression was noted among the multiple suicide attempters on all parameters evaluated; some of these differences were significant.

In already highly anxious and depressed suicidal inpatients, a high level of aggression might significantly increase the risk of recidivism.