Citation

Sheftall AH, Asti L, Horowitz LM, Felts A, Fontanella CA, Campo JV, Bridge JA. Pediatrics 2016; ePub(ePub): ePub.

Affiliation

Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, and Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Columbus, Ohio; jeff.bridge@nationwidechildrens.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, American Academy of Pediatrics)

DOI

10.1542/peds.2016-0436

PMID

27647716

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Suicide in elementary school-aged children is not well studied, despite a recent increase in the suicide rate among US black children. The objectives of this study were to describe characteristics and precipitating circumstances of suicide in elementary school-aged children relative to early adolescent decedents and identify potential within-group racial differences.

METHODS: We analyzed National Violent Death Reporting System (NVDRS) surveillance data capturing suicide deaths from 2003 to 2012 for 17 US states. Participants included all suicide decedents aged 5 to 14 years (N = 693). Age group comparisons (5-11 years and 12-14 years) were conducted by using the χ(2) test or Fisher's exact test, as appropriate.

RESULTS: Compared with early adolescents who died by suicide, children who died by suicide were more commonly male, black, died by hanging/strangulation/suffocation, and died at home. Children who died by suicide more often experienced relationship problems with family members/friends (60.3% vs 46.0%; P =.02) and less often experienced boyfriend/girlfriend problems (0% vs 16.0%; P <.001) or left a suicide note (7.7% vs 30.2%; P <.001). Among suicide decedents with known mental health problems (n = 210), childhood decedents more often experienced attention-deficit disorder with or without hyperactivity (59.3% vs 29.0%; P =.002) and less often experienced depression/dysthymia (33.3% vs 65.6%; P =.001) compared with early adolescent decedents.

CONCLUSIONS: These findings raise questions about impulsive responding to psychosocial adversity in younger suicide decedents, and they suggest a need for both common and developmentally-specific suicide prevention strategies during the elementary school-aged and early adolescent years. Further research should investigate factors associated with the recent increase in suicide rates among black children.

Copyright © 2016 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Language: en