Monday Free Download: Perceived Academic Performance as an Indicator of Risk of Attempted Suicide in Young Adolescents

Perceived academic performance is based on a very simply construct: "How do you think you will go in the end of term (end of year) exams?" or "How do you think your studies are going?" It is a useful question for teachers to ask a student because, on the face of it, it is concerned with school based work and study, but the response has major mental health implications, and may indicate a need for referral to a school counsellor or guidance officer.

This study investigated Perceived Academic Performance and self-reported suicidal behaviour in 2,596 adolescents, mean age 13 years, from 27 South Australian high schools. Groups perceiving their academic performance as failing, below average, average and above average were significantly different on measures of self-esteem, locus of control, depressive symptoms, suicidal thoughts, plans, threats, deliberate self-injury, and suicide attempts.

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Richardson, A., Martin, G., Bergen, H., Roeger, L. & Allison, S., 2005. Perceived Academic Performance as an Indicator of Risk of Attempted Suicide in Young Adolescents. Archives of Suicide Research, 9:163–176.