Suicidal behaviour and depression in adolescents

This study examines the relationship between depression, suicidal ideation, and personal profile in a sample of adolescents from Navarra, Spain. Our sample comprised 1,194 boys and girls aged 14-18 years. Measurement instruments used were: the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Suicidal Ideation Questionnaire (SIQ) developed by W.M. Reynolds, and the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory (MACI). The study findings indicate that 269 subjects suffered from different levels of depressed mood (171 females, 98 males), ranging from mild depression to major depression symptoms. With respect to suicidal ideation, 65 subjects presented pathological suicidal ideation, and 53 of them also showed depressive symptoms. Significantly, the level of correlation between these two variables was as high as 81.5%. Based on these results, the corresponding personal profiles were elaborated.