The impact of suicidal ideation in preadolescence, adolescence, and young adulthood on psychosocial functioning and psychopathology in young adulthood

OBJECTIVE: The long-term psychopathological outcome of suicidal ideation during adolescence in community samples is largely unknown. Data from the epidemiological and longitudinal Zurich Adolescent Psychology and Psychopathology Study (ZAPPS) allowed the testing of whether transient suicidal ideation in preadolescence or adolescence has the same impact on young adult psychopathology as enduring and concomitant suicidality in young adulthood. METHOD: Using various questionnaires on psychosocial functioning and the structured Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI), the following five groups were compared: preadolescent suicidal ideation only, adolescent suicidal ideation only, young adult suicidal ideation only, enduring suicidality and young adult controls matched by age and gender. RESULTS: The young adult and the enduring risk group were most abnormal in various domains of psychosocial functioning and psychopathology. Whereas these groups differed from controls and the adolescent suicidal risk group, the differentiation from the preadolescent risk group was much weaker. CONCLUSION: There is a heightened risk of abnormal psychosocial and psychopathological functioning for young adult people with enduring and concomitant suicidal ideation and for those who experienced suicidal ideation in preadolescence.