Portal de Periódicos da CAPES

Normal Children at Risk for Suicidal Behavior: A Two-Year Follow-up Study

1988; Elsevier BV; Volume: 27; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1097/00004583-198801000-00006

1527-5418

Cynthia R. Pfeffer, Robert Lipkins, Robert Plutchik, Mark S. Mizruchi,

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Seventy-five preadolescents, mean age 12.1 ± 0.25 years, with no prior history of psychiatric care, and their mothers were extensively interviewed in this 2-year follow-up study. Among 67 children who reported on suicidal tendencies at follow-up, there were: 80.6% nonsuicidal, 17.9% with suicidal ideas, and 1.5% with suicidal threats. One hundred and one children studied initially included 88.1% nonsuicidal, 8.9% with suicidal ideas, 2.0% with suicidal threats, and 1.0% with mild suicidal attempts. Fifty percent reported suicidal ideas or acts initially and at follow-up. Of the children who were not initially suicidal, 15.3% were suicidal at follow-up. Suicidal tendencies at follow-up were associated with depression, death preoccupation, aggression, general psychopathology, and ego defenses of denial, reaction formation, and projection. Associations between suicidal tendencies and depression, death preoccupations, and general psychopathology were reported also in the initial study. At follow-up, some factors not associated with suicidal tendencies were: social status, age, sex, race/ethnicity, impulse control, hopelessness, and parental depression. Implications of these findings are discussed.