Anger (again) Differentiates Suicide Attempt with Versus without Suicide Ideation Among Youth Detained in the Legal System: A Replication Study.

Rates of suicide are 2-3 times higher among youth detained in the legal system (YD) compared to non-detained youth. A prior study found that 40% of YD endorsing a suicide attempt denied suicide ideation. These youth were characterized clinically by high rates of anger and low rates of depression, somatic complaints, and neglect. The present study seeks to replicate these findings in a substantially enlarged sample of YD. N = 1,250 YD endorsing a lifetime suicide attempt were administered an interview to assess mental health history. 45% of YD endorsing a lifetime suicide attempt denied suicide ideation. Youth denying suicide ideation endorsed a significantly higher rate of anger/irritability. This enlarged YD sample replicates results that a significant number of YD who attempted suicide denied ideation and that these youth were characterized by high anger/irritability. Implications for case identification and theory advancement for a comprehensive are discussed.