Citation

Ben-Yehuda A, Aviram S, Govezensky J, Nitzan U, Levkovitz Y, Bloch Y. J. Dev. Behav. Pediatr. 2012; 33(7): 542-547.

Affiliation

*The Emotion-Cognition Research Center, Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel †Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel-Aviv University, Tel-Aviv, Israel ‡Department of psychology, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel §Child and Adolescent outpatient Clinic, Shalvata Mental Health Care Center, Hod-Hasharon, Israel.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2012, Lippincott Williams and Wilkins)

DOI

10.1097/01.DBP.0000415830.85996.e6

PMID

22926661

Abstract

BACKGROUND:: To date, the study of suicidal behavior among minors has focused on the age group in which it is more prevalent: adolescents. We hypothesized that suicidal behavior in children stems from a different diagnosis than suicidal behavior in adolescents, and thus merits its own investigation. METHOD:: We studied all minors (266) who were referred to a psychiatric emergency department due to a suicide attempt or suicidal ideation during a 3-year period. RESULT:: There was an age-related difference in diagnostic distribution among minors who were referred to the emergency department because of suicidal behavior (χ (7) = 24.297, P < 0.01). Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder was more prevalent among children (under 12 years old), whereas mood disorders were more prevalent among adolescents (12-18 years old). CONCLUSION:: The findings of this study highlight a diagnostic difference between suicidal children and suicidal adolescents.

Language: en