Asking teens about suicide and whether they'd ever thought about it doesn't make them feel more distressed and doesn't increase their risk of attempting suicide, researchers from Columbia University and New York State Psychiatric Institute in New York City say.
Between 2002 and 2004, 2,342 13- to 19-year-olds in six New York high schools answered questions about their mood, symptoms of depression, anger, energy levels, and use of substances like drugs and alcohol. Half of the students also answered questions about how often they thought about suicide, dying, or death and whether they'd attempted suicide. After answering the questions about suicide, they reported whether they felt distressed by the questions. Then, 2 days later, the teens who'd answered the suicide questions reported whether they'd felt depressed since the last survey and whether they'd thought about killing themselves.
Teens who answered questions about suicide weren't more likely to be more upset after the first survey or after 2 days, compared to teens who didn't answer the suicide questions. Teens who answered questions about suicide weren't more likely to think about suicide, either. Even teens who had symptoms of depression, substance use problems, or had attempted suicide before weren't more likely to be suicidal or upset after answering suicide questions. In fact, depressed teens and teens who'd attempted suicide who answered the suicide questions seemed to be less distressed and suicidal, compared to depressed and substance-using teens who hadn't answered suicide questions.
What This Means to You: According to the results of this study, talking about suicidal thoughts or attempts doesn't necessarily distress teens or increase the risk of suicide. For some teens at risk of depression and substance abuse, talking about suicide may even reduce teens' symptoms of depression and thoughts of suicide. If your teen seems withdrawn or anxious, has shown changes in his eating or sleeping habits, or begins getting poor grades, these may be signs of an underlying emotional problem. If you're concerned about your child's emotional or physical health, talk to your child's doctor.
Source: Madelyn S. Gould, PhD, MPH; Frank A. Marrocco, PhD; Marjorie Kleinman, MS; John Graham Thomas, BS; Katherine Mostkoff, CSW; Jean Cote, CSW; Mark Davies, MPH; Journal of the American Medical Association, April 6, 2005
Reviewed by: Steven Dowshen, MD
Date reviewed: April 2005
