NCJ Number
178187
Journal
Jounal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 38 Issue: 7 Dated: July 1999 Pages: 846-851
Date Published
July 1999
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Fifty-nine adolescents who had disruptive disorders and had completed suicide were compared with 18 community controls with disruptive disorders to determine the psychiatric risk for suicide in adolescents with disruptive disorders.
Abstract
Both groups had probable or definite current DSM-III diagnoses of disruptive disorders. Adolescents with disruptive disorders who committed suicide had higher rates of current drug abuse, past suicide attempt, family history of drug abuse, and family history of mood disorder than did disruptive community controls. Findings indicated that disruptive adolescents appear to be at risk for completed suicide when co-occurring drug abuse and a past history of suicide attempt are present. The risk increases if the adolescents have a past history of physical abuse and if they have parents with drug abuse and mood disorders. Findings suggested that clinicians should be aware of these risk factors and should implement active interventions to prevent suicide. In addition, treatment should focus not only on the adolescents but also on their family members. Findings also highlight the need for future research in suicide prevention in adolescents with disruptive disorders and comorbid drug abuse. Tables and 30 references (Author abstract modified)