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Prevalence and Clinical Differences of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in a Community Sample of Youth Receiving Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety

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Abstract

This study examined the incidence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in youth with anxiety before initiating cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as the emergence of suicidal thoughts and behaviors during treatment. Overall, 30% of youth experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Prior to treatment, 24% reported suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and 13.1% endorsed suicidal thoughts and behaviors during treatment. More than half who endorsed suicidal thoughts and behaviors during treatment were newly identified cases not detected prior to treatment. Disagreement among parent- and child-report measures of suicidality was found at baseline. Youth who experienced suicidal thoughts and behaviors had higher levels of loneliness, depressive symptoms, overt peer victimization, functional impairment, and externalizing symptoms. Findings suggest that the assessment of suicidality at a single time-point and from one informant is not sufficient to identify at-risk youth. Ongoing assessment of suicidal risk during treatment is important in this population.

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Funding

This work was supported by a grant to the last author from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (1R18HS018665-01A1). The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Rothman Center for Neuropsychiatry, University of South Florida, 880 6th Street South, Suite 460, Box 7523, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA

    Nicole M. McBride, Carly Johnco, Alison Salloum, Adam B. Lewin & Eric A. Storch

  2. Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

  3. School of Social Work, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Alison Salloum

  4. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Adam B. Lewin & Eric A. Storch

  5. Department of Health Policy and Management, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

  6. Rogers Behavioral Health – Tampa Bay, Tampa, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

  7. All Children’s Hospital – Johns Hopkins Medicine, St. Petersburg, FL, USA

    Eric A. Storch

Authors
  1. Nicole M. McBride
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  2. Carly Johnco
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  3. Alison Salloum
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  4. Adam B. Lewin
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  5. Eric A. Storch
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Correspondence to Nicole M. McBride.

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McBride, N.M., Johnco, C., Salloum, A. et al. Prevalence and Clinical Differences of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in a Community Sample of Youth Receiving Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 48, 705–713 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-016-0696-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-016-0696-6

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