Panic attacks and suicide attempts in mid-adolescence

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of panic attacks and suicide attempts in a community-based sample of 13-14-year-old adolescents. Method: The data are from a survey of 1,580 students in an urban public school system located in the mid-atlantic region of the United States. Logistic regression methods were used to estimate associations between panic attacks and suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Results: Controlling for demographic factors, major depression, the use of alcohol, and the use of illicit drugs, the authors found that adolescents with panic attacks were three times more likely to have expressed suicidal ideation and approximately two times more likely to have made suicide attempts than were adolescents without panic attacks. Conclusions: This new epidemiologic research adds to the evidence of an association between panic attacks and suicide attempts during the middle years of adolescence.