Abstract

AZEVEDO, Andreia  and  MATOS, Ana Paula. Suicidal ideation and depressive symptomatology in adolescents. Psic., Saúde & Doenças [online]. 2014, vol.15, n.1, pp.179-190. ISSN 1645-0086.  https://doi.org/10.15309/14psd150115.

Recent data from the Portuguese General Directorate of Health (2013) point to an increase in the number of suicides in recent years. Among adolescents, suicide is the second leading cause of death. International studies have shown that suicidal ideation is a key indicator for suicide risk. It appears in about 4-10% of adolescents in the general population, is more prevalent in females and is often associated with depression. This study aims to evaluate the presence of suicidal ideation in adolescents from the general population and to analyze the relationship between suicidal ideation measured by Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ, Reynolds, 1988; Portuguese version by Ferreira & Castela, 1999) and depressive symptomatology assessed by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI, Kovacs, 1985; Portuguese version by Marujo, 1994). The sample is comprised by 233 adolescents from the general population, aged between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.69, SD = 1.287), 86 males (36.9%) and 147 females (63.1%).26 (10.7%) adolescents present suicidal ideation (score above the cutoff point proposed by Reynolds), of whom 76.9% are girls. The results also indicate that suicidal ideation is significantly correlated with depressive symptoms, explaining 39.5% of its variance. These results support the existence of a relationship between suicidal ideation and depressive symptomatology and call attention to the presence of suicidal ideation in Portuguese adolescents of the general population. Thus, it is stressed the need to develop intervention strategies, including preventive ones, to address the problem of suicidal ideation and depression in Portugal.

Keywords : suicidal ideation; depressive symptomatology; adolescents.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )