Identifying depressed and suicidal adolescents in a teen health clinic

Purpose: This study examined the 6-month prevalence of depression and suicidal probability among new referrals to an adolescent health clinic. Methods: All subjects (n = 104) completed the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) prior to being seen by a physician and were categorized according to presenting problem (physical complaints only, psychological complaints only, and physical and psychological complaints combined). Results: Fifty-nine percent of the sample was depressed with 21% falling in the moderate range and 21% falling within the severe range of depression. Almost 23% of the sample demonstrated significant suicidal probability. The BDI and SPS were highly correlated (r = .73, p Conclusions: Results suggest that depression and suicidal probability represent significant mental health problems within the adolescent clinic and the identification of high-risk individuals can be achieved through comprehensive screening practices.