Citation

Fortune S, Seymour F, Lambie I. N. Zeal. J. Psychol. 2005; 34(3): 164-170.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2005, New Zealand Psychological Society)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Treating young people at high risk for suicide has been identified as a priority area for development in mental health services. This study aimed to establish the prevalence of suicide ideation and suicidal behaviour in a child and adolescent mental health service and examine if children and adolescents with deliberate self-harm (DSH) were different from those who had not engaged in DSH in terms of individual and family risk factors. A file audit was conducted of 100 clients in a South Auckland service. Just under half of the clients (48%, N = 48) had engaged in DSH at the time of initial assessment, a further 16% (N = 16) had expressed suicide ideation without DSH. Children and adolescents who had engaged in DSH and/or had suicide ideation were older, had more maternal substance abuse, more family history of offending, were more likely to have been sexually abused, used more substances themselves, and were more likely to have previous episodes of DSH.

Language: en