Interventions among adolescents who were violently injured and those who attempted suicide

To examine responses to the psychological needs of adolescent injury victims, the records of all adolescents hospitalized at an urban trauma center during a one-year period for injury by gunshots, stabbings, and physical assaults (N = 59) were compared with the records of adolescents admitted that year for attempting suicide (N = 28). Victims of intentional injuries received significantly lower levels of psychosocial interventions than suicide attempters, and access to such interventions appeared to be influenced by gender and race. Intentionally injured adolescents may not receive available interventions for the psychosocial consequences of their injuries.