Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN): Suicide Interview, Wave 2, 1997-2000

The Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods (PHDCN) was a large-scale, interdisciplinary study of how families, schools, and neighborhoods affect child and adolescent development. One component of the PHDCN was the Longitudinal Cohort Study, which was a series of coordinated longitudinal studies that followed over 6,000 randomly selected children, adolescents, and young adults, and their primary caregivers over time to examine the changing circumstances of their lives, as well as the personal characteristics, that might lead them toward or away from a variety of antisocial behaviors. Numerous measures were administered to respondents to gauge various aspects of human development, including individual differences, as well as family, peer, and school influences. The Suicide Interview was administered to subjects for Cohorts 12, 15, and 18. The instrument was adapted from a section of the Major Depression Disorder module of the Diagnostic Interview Schedule for Children (DISC 4) and obtained information about the subject in terms of lifetime occurrence and frequency in the past year of suicidal thoughts, as well as a more detailed set of questions regarding past suicide attempts. A set of questions regarding completed suicide of any friends or family was also included.