Impulsivity in suicidal and nonsuicidal adolescents.

Nonsuicidal and suicidal adolescent inpatients were compared to community high school students using behavioral measures of impulsivity. Measures of problem solving ability, hopelessness, and depression were also administered to all groups. The suicidal inpatients were characterized by greater impulsivity, hopelessness, and depression than both nonsuicidal inpatients and community high school students. There were no differences in problem-solving abilities found between the suicidal inpatients and either the nonsuicidal inpatients or the community controls.