Predictive Factors of Suicide in Children

According to Hill (1998), of the 300,000 people who attempt suicide every year, about 10 percent succeed. Suicide is the second leading cause of death in kids under 15 years of age; and about one in every ten teenagers will attempt to commit suicide before they finish high school.

Moreover, since 1950 suicide among young people has increased by 250 percent and is showing signs of continuing to increase (Hill, 1998). These alarming statistics highlight the importance of the need to fully understand the factors that are contributive to suicide among youth.

The purpose of this paper was to examine the current research investigating for predictors of suicide in young people. To this end, three categories of suicide predictor research are examined: studies using clinical samples; studies using non-clinical samples; and studies comparing predictors of clinical and non-clinical samples. The review ends with the formulation of several conclusions concerning factors that predict suicide risk in young people.

Predictors of Suicide in Children and Adolescents

Research Conducted on Clinical Samples

What variables place children and adolescents at risk for suicide? Some researchers have examined for the answer to this question by investigating clinical samples. In one such study, Lipschitz, Winegar, Nicholoau, Hartnick, Wolfson and Southwick (1999) assessed suicide risk in 34 boys and 37 girls who were inpatients in psychiatric

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curriculum designated by the school district. Data were collected on the demographics of all subjects in the areas of grade, age, gender, and ethnic background. Using a pre-/post-test, data was collected from all groups to determine the level of pre- and post-intervention knowledge and understanding of the four units studied. The findings showed that: (a) there was a significant difference in knowledge and understanding between the treatment groups and the control groups after administering the curriculum, and (b) there was no significant difference based on any of the demographic categories. A QUALITATIVE STUDY OF ADOLESCENTS GROWING UP IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE HOMES (VIOLENCE, INTERGENERATIONAL TRANSMISSION OF VIOLENCE) Publication Number: AAT 9833802 Author: HUTCHINGS, JENNIFER BETH School: KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY Degree: PHD Degree Date: 1998 Adviser: WRIGHT, DAVID W. Source: DAI-A 59/05, p. 1789, Nov 1998 Pages: 260 Subject: SOCIOLOGY, INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY STUDIES (0628) Abstract: During the past fifteen years attention given to domestic violence has increased drastically, but the majority of the literature has focused primarily on the victims and perpetrators. Too little attention has been paid to t
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Approximate Word count = 9383
Approximate Pages = 38 (250 words per page)

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