Out of Options: A Cognitive Model of Adolescent Suicide and Risk-Taking

This book tackles an area of adolescent behavior that presents a significant challenge for parents, teachers and professionals the world over. Whilst much has been written on the topic of adolescent suicide we see continued high rates throughout industrialized nations. The overlap between suicidal behaviors and other forms of serious risk-taking is a relatively new avenue of research and gives insight into the motivations of some adolescents. The cognitive model developed and evaluated in this book provides further insight into the progression from early problems faced by young people to the serious outcomes of suicide and risk-taking. The model allows us to suggest points of intervention for young people and to demonstrate that whilst there are overlapping features, attempts to intervene would target different problem areas for suicidal adolescents than for risk-taking adolescents.

• Looks at commonalities evident in the literature of both suicide and risk-taking behaviours in young people • Develops a model of cognitive deficits and compares different groups of young people on multiple constructs to evaluate this model • Provides evidence for a pathway from early symptomatology in young people to the serious outcomes suicide and risk-taking

Preface; Introduction; 1. Adolescent suicide: an overview of the epidemiology; 2. Risk and predisposing factors in adolescent suicide; 3. Emotional problems and adolescent suicide; 4. Adolescent suicide: cognitive variables; 5. Adolescent risk-taking: an overview; 6. Risk and predisposing factors in adolescent risk-taking; 7. Adolescent risk-taking: cognitive variables; 8. An integrated model of suicide and risk-taking; an evaluation of the S/RT model: 9. Depressed and problem behavior adolescents; 10. Suicide attempts and risk-takers; 11. The impact of cognitive variables as mediators; 12. Clinical implications: the development of problem solving; 13. Clinical implications: prevention.