Major depressive disorder, disruptive behavior disorders, and anxiety disorders are all significantly associated with suicidal ideation and attempts in adolescents. Yet, the nature of the relation between psychopathology and suicidality has been greatly understudied. The purpose of this 3-year application is to test a cognitive mediational model to explain this relationship. Specifically, it is hypothesized that psychopathology is related to suicidality through unique dysfunctional cognitive processes and products linked with various clinical disorders in adolescents. The proposed study will also explore the manner in which comorbid forms of psychopathology affect dysfunctional cognitive processes and products, and suicidality in adolescents. It is hypothesized that depressed adolescents with comorbid psychopathology will exhibit more severe dysfunctional cognitive processes and products, and thus further increase their suicide risk. Secondarily, gender differences across mediational and comorbidity related findings would be explored. More complex competing models will also be tested. The proposed study will employ a cross-sectional design to test hypotheses. Two hundred and fifty psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents will be asked to complete a diagnostic interview and symptom inventories to assess psychopathology, as well as performance based measures and questionnaires to assess dysfunctional cognitive processes, cognitive products, and suicidality. Analyses will include the use of structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques, hierarchical regression analyses, and analyses of variance (ANOVA). Information obtained from this study will help explicate cognitive patterns in suicidal adolescents with varying forms of psychopathology and could ultimately be used to tailor cognitive-behavioral and multimode interventions for these high risk youth. ? ?
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