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Social Problem Solving, Mood, and Suicidality Among Inpatient Adolescents

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Abstract

Relationships between social problem solving, mood, and suicidality were examined in a sample of 105 adolescent psychiatric inpatients (ages 12–18). Youth were administered the Social Problem-Solving Inventory—Revised (T. D'Zurilla & A. Maydeu-Olivares, 1995) as well as standardized self-report and interview measures of dysphoria, hopelessness, anxiety, and suicidality. Results indicated that a negative problem orientation as well as an avoidant or impulsive problem-solving style were associated with less favorable scores on all of the latter measures, including greater reported suicidality. By contrast, associations were not observed between utilization of rational problem-solving skills and measures of either mood or suicidality. Structural equation modeling analyses revealed that the relationships found between the former measures of social problem solving and suicidality were mediated by more direct associations of less-effective social problem solving with both dysphoria/state-depression and hopelessness.

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Reinecke, M.A., DuBois, D.L. & Schultz, T.M. Social Problem Solving, Mood, and Suicidality Among Inpatient Adolescents. Cognitive Therapy and Research 25, 743–756 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1012971423547

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