Citation

Kerfoot M, Dyer E, Harrington V, Woodham A, Harrington R. Br. J. Psychiatry 1996; 168(1): 38-42.

Affiliation

Department of Psychiatry, University of Manchester.

Copyright

(Copyright © 1996, Royal College of Psychiatry)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

8770426

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The features of adolescents who had taken an overdose were assessed to determine the focus for a treatment trial. METHOD: Overdose cases were compared with psychiatric and community controls who had not taken an overdose in respect of mental disorders and family background. RESULTS: Overdose cases had high rates of major depression, but most of them recovered from depression within six weeks of the overdose. There was a specific association between taking an overdose and family dysfunction. CONCLUSIONS: Family dysfunction could be a useful focus in a clinical trial of the aftercare of adolescents who have taken an overdose.

Language: en