Data from 3 waves of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, a nationally
representative database, are used to test complex models addressing the developmental links
between child adoption or non-adoption and suicidal ideation across adolescence, early young
adulthood, and young adulthood. Diverse developmental dynamics are tested, while controlling
for a variety of potential demographic confounds. Models are tested comparing kin and non-kin
adopted youth to non-adopted youth, as well as the estimated effects of earlier versus later age at
adoption to non-adoption. The models suggest modest differences in suicidal ideation during
adolescence, early young adulthood, and young adulthood as a function of being adopted versus
not-adopted and being adopted at age 4 years or later versus non-adoption.