Am J Psychiatry 1984; 141:520-525
Copyright © 1984 by American Psychiatric Association
Suicidal behavior by preschool children
PA Rosenthal and S Rosenthal
Sixteen suicidal preschoolers age 21/2 to 5 years who were referred to a
university child psychiatry outpatient clinic were compared with 16
behaviorally disordered preschoolers matched by age, sex, race, and
parental marital and socioeconomic status. The suicidal group showed
significantly more nonsuicidal self-directed aggression, loss of interest,
morbid ideas, depression (according to the Weinberg criteria, but not
DSM-III), impulsivity and hyperactivity, and running away behavior. They
also showed significantly less pain and crying after injury; more of the
children were unwanted and abused or neglected by parents. Four subgroups
of suicidal motivation are identified and discussed.
