Suicidal Ideation and Attempts during Middle Childhood: Associations with Subjective Quality of Life and Depression

Abstract

Background: Confronted to the increasing suicide rate in children, clinicians have to better understand and predict suicide-related behaviours (SRBs) in children with and without depressive symptoms. Aims: To investigate associations among suicidal tendencies (thoughts and/or attempts), depression and children’s perceptions of subjective quality of life. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 157 children of 6 - 13-year-old. Results: Children who attempted or thought of suicide reported goodless subjective quality of life than nonsuicidal children did, and children who thought of or attempted suicide reported higher levels of depressive symptoms than nonsuicidal children. Limitations: A more rigorous approach to investigating suicidal ideation and depressive symptomatology as a diagnostic interview based on the DSM-IV-TR will be valuable to future progress in understanding childrens suicidality. Conclusions: Results may reflect the confirmation of depressive symptoms as risk factors for suicidality and underline the high importance of social and emotional life context among suicidal children. For this reason, more effective recognition and comprehension of the underlying affective and social conditions of children with suicidality have special importance to prevent future suicidal behaviour during adolescence.

Share and Cite:

Bourdet-Loubère, S. and Raynaud, J. (2013) Suicidal Ideation and Attempts during Middle Childhood: Associations with Subjective Quality of Life and Depression. Open Journal of Medical Psychology, 2, 93-100. doi: 10.4236/ojmp.2013.23015.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1] C. C. O’Leary, D. E. Franck, W. Grant-Knight, M. Beeghly, M. Augustyn, R. Rose-Jacobs, H. J. Cabral and K. Gannon, “Suicidal Ideation among Urban Nine and Ten Year Olds,” Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, Vol. 27, No. 1, 2008, pp. 33-39. doi:10.1097/00004703-200602000-00005
[2] M. Pelkonen and M. Marttinen, “Child and Adolescent Suicide: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Approaches to Prevention,” Paediatric Drugs, Vol. 5, No. 4, 2003, pp. 243-265.
[3] L. Connolly, “Suicidal Behavior: Does It Exist in Pre-school Aged Children?” Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine, Vol. 16, 1999, pp. 72-74.
[4] C. R. Pfeffer, “Diagnosis of Childhood and Adolescent Suicidal Behavior: Unmet Needs for Suicide Prevention,” Biological Psychiatry, Vol. 49, No. 12, 2001, pp. 1055-1061. doi:10.1016/S0006-3223(01)01141-6
[5] M. Pompili, I. Mancinelli, P. Girardi, A. Ruberto and R. Tatarelli, “Childhood Suicide: A Major Issue in Pediatric Health Care,” Issues in Comprehensive Pediatric Nursing, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2005, pp. 63-68. doi:10.1080/01460860590916780
[6] C. L. Tishler, N. S. Reiss and A. R. Rhodes, “Suicidal Behavior in Children Younger than Twelve: A Diagnostic Challenge for Emergency Department Personnel,” Academic Emergency Medicine, Vol. 14, No. 9, 2007, pp. 810-818.
[7] R. Cohen-Sandler, A. L. Berman and R. A. King, “Life Stress and Symptomatology: Determinants of Suicidal Behavior in Children,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 21, 1982, pp. 178-186. doi:10.1016/S0002-7138(09)60917-1
[8] M. Walker, D. Moreau and M. M. Weissman, “Parents’ Awareness of Children’s Suicide Attempts,” American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 147, No. 10, 1990, pp. 1364-1366.
[9] D. L. Hoyert, M. P. Heron, S. L. Murphy and H. C. Kung, “Deaths: Final Data for 2003,” National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 54, No. 13, 2003, pp. 1-120.
[10] B. Groholt, O. Ekeberg, L. Wichstrom and T. Haldorsen, “Suicide among Children and Younger and Older Adolescents in Norway: A Comparative Study,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 37, No. 5, 1998, pp. 473-481. doi:10.1097/00004583-199805000-00008
[11] J. L. McIntosh, “Epidemiology of Adolescent Suicide in the United States,” In: R. W. Maris, S. S. Canetto, J. L. McIntosh and M. M. Silverman, Eds., Review of Suicidology, Guilford Press, New York, 2000, pp. 3-33.
[12] M. S. Gould, R. King, S. Greenwald, P. Fisher, M. Schwab-Stone, R. Kramer, A. J. Flisher, S. Goodman, G. Canino and D. Shaffer, “Psychopathology Associated with Suicidal Ideation and Attempts among Children and Adolescents,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 37, No. 9, 1998, pp. 915-923. doi:10.1097/00004583-199809000-00011
[13] R. Thompson, E. Briggs, D. J. English, H. Dubowitz, L. C. Lee, K. Brody, M. D. Everson and W. M. Hunter, “Suicidal Ideation among 8-Year-Olds Who Are Maltreated and at Risk: Findings from the LONGSCAN Studies,” Child Maltreat, Vol. 10, No. 1, 2005, pp. 26-36. doi:10.1177/1077559504271271
[14] C. R. Pfeffer, R. Lipkins, R. Plutchik and M. Mizruchi, “Suicidal Behavior in Latency Age Children,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 27, No. 1, 1988, pp. 34-41. doi:10.1097/00004583-198801000-00006
[15] J. R. Asarnow, “Suicidal Ideating and Attempts during Middle Childhood: Associations with Perceived Family Stress and Depression among Child Psychiatric Inpatients,” Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, Vol. 21, No. 1, 1992, pp. 35-40. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp2101_6
[16] P. L. Marciano and A. E. Kazdin, “Self-Esteem, Depression, Hopelessness, and Suicidal Intent among Psychiatrically Disturbed Inpatient Children,” Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology, Vol. 23, No. 2, 1994, pp. 151-160. doi:10.1207/s15374424jccp2302_5
[17] M. Kovacs, D. Goldston and C. Gastonis, “Suicidal Behaviors and Childhood-Onset Depressive Disorders: A Longitudinal Investigation,” Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 32, No. 1, 1993, pp. 8-20. doi:10.1097/00004583-199301000-00003
[18] N. Bolger, G. Downey, E. Walker and P. Steininger, “The Onset of Suicidal Ideation in Childhood and Adolescence,” Journal of Youth and Adolescence, Vol. 18, No. 2, 1989, pp. 175-190. doi:10.1007/BF02138799
[19] J. R. Asarnow, G. A. Carlson and D. Guthrie, “Coping Strategies, Self-Perceptions, Hopelessness, and Perceived Family Environments in Depressed and Suicidal Children,” Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, Vol. 55, No. 3, 1987, pp. 361-366. doi:10.1037/0022-006X.55.3.361
[20] B. Yang and G. A. Clum, “Effects of Early Negative Life Experiences on Cognitive Functioning and Risk for Suicide: A Review,” Clinical Psychology Review, Vol. 16, No. 3, 1996, pp. 177-195. doi:10.1016/S0272-7358(96)00004-9
[21] M. Kovacs, “The Children Depression Inventory (CDI),” Psychopharmacology Bulletin, Vol. 21, No. 4, 1985, pp. 995-998.
[22] L. Moor and C. Mack, “Versions Fran?aises d’Echelles d’Evaluation de la Dépression,” Neuropsychiatrie de l’Enfance et de l’Adolescence, Vol. 30, 1982, pp. 623-626.
[23] L. Saint-Laurent, “étude Psychométrique de l’Inventaire de Dépression Pour Enfants de Kovacs Auprès d’un Echantillon Francophone/Psychometric Study of Kovacs’s Children’s Depression Inventory with a French-Speaking Sample,” Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science, Vol. 24, No. 4, 1990, pp. 377-384. doi:10.1037/h0078990
[24] U. Ravens-Sieberer, A. Gosch, L. Rajmil, M. Erhart, J. Bruil, W. Duer, P. Auquier, M. Power, T. Abel, L. Czemy, J. Mazur, A. Czimbalmos, Y. Tountas, C. Hagquist, J. Kilroe and European Kidscreen Group, “The KIDSCREEN-52 Quality of Life Measure for Children and Adolescents,” Expert Review of Pharmacoeconomics & Outcomes Research, Vol. 5, No. 3, 2005, pp. 353-364. doi:10.1586/14737167.5.3.353
[25] S. Robitail, M. C. Simeoni, M. Erhart, U. Ravens-Sieberer, J. Bruil and P. Auquier, “Validation of the European Proxy KIDSCREEN-52 Pilot Test Health-Related Quality of Life Questionnaire: First Results,” Journal of Adolescent Health, Vol. 39, No. 4, 2006, pp. 596.e1-596.e10.
[26] B. A. Van der Kolk, C. Perry and J. L. Herman, “Childhood Origins of Self-Destructive Behavior,” American Journal of Psychiatry, Vol. 148, 1991, pp. 1665-1671.
[27] J. Gledhill and M. Hodes, “Depression and Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents,” Psychiatry, Vol. 7, No. 8, 2008, pp. 335-339. doi:10.1016/j.mppsy.2008.05.013
[28] M. F. Le Heuzet, P. Isnard, A. M. Badoual and M. Dugas, “Enfants et Adolescents Suicidants,” Archives of Pediatrics, Vol. 2, No. 2, 1995, pp. 130-135. doi:10.1016/0929-693X(96)89872-1
[29] M. Sarkar, P. Byrne, L. Power, C. Fitzpatrick, M. Anglim, C. Boylan and S. Morgan, “Are Suicidal Phenomena in Children Different to Suicidal Phenomena in Adolescents? A Six-Year Review,” Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Vol. 15, No. 4, 2010, pp. 197-203. doi:10.1111/j.1475-3588.2010.00567.x
[30] P. M. Lewinsohn, P. Rohde, J. R. Seeley and C. L. Baldwin, “Gender Differences in Suicide Attempts From Adolescence to Young Adulthood,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 40, No. 4, 2001, pp. 427-434. doi:10.1097/00004583-200104000-00011
[31] D. A. Brent, M. Baugher, J. Bridge, T. Chen and L. Chiapetta, “Age- and Sex-Related Risk Factors for Adolescent Suicide,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 38, No. 12, 1999, pp. 1497-1505. doi:10.1097/00004583-199912000-00010
[32] B. A. Bettes and E. Walker, “Symptoms Associated with Suicidal Behavior in Childhood and Adolescence,” Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, Vol. 14, No. 4, 1986, pp. 591-604. doi:10.1007/BF01260526
[33] D. B. Goldston, S. S. Daniel, D. M. Reboussin, B. A. Reboussin, P. H. Frazier and A. E. Kelley, “Suicide Attempts among Formerly Hospitalized Adolescents: A Prospective Naturalistic Study of Risk During the First 5 Years after Discharge,” Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol. 38, No. 6, 1999, pp. 660-671. doi:10.1097/00004583-199906000-00012
[34] D. L. Frankenfield, P. M. Keyl, A. Gielen, L. S. Wissow, L. Werthamer and S. P. Baker, “Adolescent Patients— Healthy or Hurting? Missed Opportunities to Screen for Suicide Risk in the Primary Care Setting,” Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Vol. 154, No. 2, 2000, pp. 162-168.

Copyright © 2024 by authors and Scientific Research Publishing Inc.

Creative Commons License

This work and the related PDF file are licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.