Adolescent suicidal behaviors are widespread and produce a significant burden on healthcare systems. In the United States, suicide is the 4th most common cause of death among 10–14 year olds, and the 3rd most common cause of death among 15–24 year olds (Anderson and Smith, 2003). Suicide attempts are the primary reason for referral to child and adolescent psychiatric emergency services (Peterson et al. 1996). The incidence rates of suicide attempts among older adolescents range from 7% to 9% (CDC, 2004). Prospective findings show that: (1) adolescents who attempt suicide are at risk of future non-lethal suicide attempts, and the risk increases with multiple suicide attempts (Goldston et al. 1999; Wingate et al. 2004); (2) adolescents who die by suicide have histories of suicidal ideation (Beck et al. 1999) and non-lethal suicide attempts (Shaffer et al. 1996); and (3) the period from 6 to 12 months following discharge from psychiatric hospitalization is marked by a heightened risk for suicide attempts (Goldston et al. 1999).
