Suicidal Children Grow Up: Rates and Psychosocial Risk Factors for Suicide Attempts during Follow-up

Abstract

Rates and psychosocial risk factors for suicide attempts during a 6 to 8-year follow-up period were compared for 25 predominantly prepubertal inpatient suicide attempters, 28 inpatient suicidal ideators, 16 nonsuicidal inpatients, and 64 nonpatients. Standard research instruments were used to interview subjects and parents. Cox proportional hazard regression analyses were used to identify risk factors for a suicide attempt in the follow-up. No deaths occurred during follow-up. Suicide attempters were six times and suicidal ideators were three times more likely than were nonpatients to attempt suicide during follow-up. Poor social adjustment and mood disorder close to a recurrent suicide attempt were the strongest risk factors. Risk assessment should focus on identifying symptoms of mood disorders and impaired social adjustment in children with histories of suicide attempts and psychiatric hospitalization. © 1993, The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. All rights reserved.