Adolescents who have made suicide attempts or who have been psychiatrically hospitalized are a particularly high risk group. Nevertheless, relatively few longitudinal outcome studies exist. The available studies indicate that significant numbers of these adolescents, approximately 10–18%, attempt suicide within the first year following their hospitalization (Brent et al. 1993; Goldston et al. 1999; King et al. 1995), and approximately 25% attempt suicide within 5 years post-hospitalization (Goldston et al. 1999). These attempts are associated with significant morbidity and mortality (Gould et al. 2003).
