Preschool-Onset Major Depressive Disorder as a Strong Predictor of Suicidal Ideation and Behaviors Into Preadolescence

Abstract

Objective: Suicidal thoughts and behaviors (STBs) in children are an escalating public health concern. This study focused on 1 understudied candidate risk factor, namely, preschool-onset major depressive disorder (PO-MDD), as a predictor of persistent and emerging STBs from early childhood into preadolescence. Method: Participants were 137 children 8 to 12 years of age who met criteria for PO-MDD when they were 3 to 6 years of age, and a nondepressed sample of 53 age-, income-, and sex-matched peers. STBs were reported by caregivers (preschool, preadolescence) and children (preadolescence) using age-appropriate diagnostic interviews. Results: By preadolescence, children who had PO-MDD were 7.38 times more likely than their peers to have endorsed STBs after early childhood (p