Background and Objectives. Suicide represents a primary global health concern, particularly among young individuals aged 15 to 29. Clinicians are actively engaged in efforts to prevent suicide and implement timely interventions. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of self-reported measures in differentiating between adolescents exhibiting suicidal ideation (SI) only and those at risk or with a previous history of suicide attempts (SA). Methods. Seventy-eight adolescent patients (mean age: 15.53 ± 1.49) were classified into two groups using the Columbia Suicide Severity Rating Scale (C-SSRS). Forty-five patients presented with SI but lacked a prior history of SA, while 33 adolescents had a documented history of either concrete or interrupted SA. Notably, all participants in the SA group also reported SI. Participants completed the Multi-Attitude Suicide Tendency Scale (MAST) and the Beck Depression Inventory-Short Form (BDI-SF) to assess protective and risk factors associated with suicidality, as well as perceived depression. Results. Attraction toward life (AL) exhibited a negative correlation with perceived depression in both groups, whereas attraction toward death (AD) was positively correlated with depression in the SA group. In the SI group, scores for repulsion by life (RL) demonstrated a positive correlation with depression. Furthermore, RL scores were significantly higher in the SA group. ROC analysis revealed good accuracy for both assessment tools in differentiating the two groups. Conclusions. The BDI-SF and MAST are effective instruments for identifying adolescents at risk for suicide and implementing tailored preventive and therapeutic interventions. The user-friendly nature and adaptability make those self-report measures useful in various settings, allowing administration without clinician involvement.

Background/Objectives: Research is lacking about the development of personality disorders (PDs) from adolescence to early adulthood. This study aimed to characterize the profile of high-risk adolescents compared to adolescents with full-blown PDs and adolescents with other psychiatric disorders and to identify clinical markers that constitute a risk profile. Methods: We evaluated 99 adolescents (12–17 years old) through DSM-5-based semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, cognitive tasks, and scales regarding functioning and disorder severity. We divided patients into three groups: 22 adolescents with full-blown personality disorder (FBPD), 57 adolescents at high risk for personality disorders (HPD), and 20 adolescents with other DSM-5 psychiatric disorders (OTH). At follow-up, 56 patients completed the assessment. Possible developmental trajectories of FBPD and HPD patients were remission (total or partial) of PD-related symptoms, stability of symptoms, or transition from HPD to FBPD. Results: FBPD adolescents had more impaired family backgrounds. At baseline, the HPD group was mainly composed of female patients, younger than the FBPD ones. Externalizing symptoms may represent prodromal symptoms of FBPD. High-risk patients who made the transition were younger than those who did not, and their mothers reported higher internalizing symptoms at baseline. None of the FBPD patients remitted. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis of a PD “at-risk mental state” and the importance of the implementation of PD early detection and treatment in adolescents, regardless of patient age.

Life events (traumatic and protective) may be critical factors associated with eating disorders and their severity. To date, there is little literature concerning the role of life events in adolescence. The main goal of this study was to explore in a sample of adolescent patients with restrictive eating disorders (REDs) the presence of life events in the year before enrolment and to characterize them according to timing. Furthermore, we investigated correlations between REDs severity and the presence of life events. In total, 33 adolescents completed the EDI-3 questionnaire to assess RED severity using EDRC (Eating Disorder Risk Composite), GPMC (General Psychological Maladjustment Composite), and the Coddington Life Events Scales—Adolescent (CLES-A) questionnaires to define the presence of life events in the last year. Of these, 87.88% reported a life event in the past year. A significant association emerged between elevated clinical GPMC and the presence of traumatic events: patients who had experienced at least one traumatic life event in the year before enrolment presented higher clinically elevated GPMC compared to patients who had not. These results suggest that obtaining early information about traumatic events in clinical practice may help prevent the occurrence of new events and improve patient outcomes.

Background/Objectives: Adolescence is a developmental stage characterized by profound physical and psychological transformations, often leading to vulnerabilities such as body dissatisfaction, identity challenges, and the use of maladaptive coping strategies. This often leads to body-related psychopathologies, including headaches, restrictive eating disorders, and non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI). The present study aimed to describe the typical functioning and features of these conditions and the differences between the three groups, and to identify the most effective assessment for predicting these conditions. Methods: Sixty adolescent patients (51 female; mean age = 15.34 ± 1.80) were divided into three groups: headaches, restrictive eating disorders, and NSSI, and assessed for differences in symptoms, cognitive performance, personality, functioning, and illness severity using semi-structured interviews, clinician-based scales, and performance-based tests like the Rorschach inkblot test, according to the Rorschach Performance Assessment System (R-PAS). Results: Individuals with headaches experienced more internalizing symptoms, had an average IQ, maintained some functioning areas, and had distorted patterns of self–other relationships with the tendency to project malevolent aspects onto others. Patients with restrictive eating disorders had high levels of depressive symptoms, above-average IQ scores, negative symptoms, moderate presence of obsessive–compulsive personality traits, disorganized thinking, and a tendency to interpret situations subjectively. Patients with NSSI showed the highest level of depressive symptoms and social anxiety symptoms, and a considerable presence of psychotic symptoms and perceptual distortions. Negative symptoms, borderline personality traits, and psychosis symptoms had the strongest predictivity. Conclusions: The study provides clinicians with relevant insights into the features of these conditions and highlights assessment strategies, tailored interventions, and enhanced outcomes for these vulnerable populations.