Citation

Dobson ET, Keeshin BR, Wehry AM, Saldaña SN, Mukkamala LR, Sorter MT, Delbello MP, Blom TJ, Strawn JR. Ann. Clin. Psychiatry 2017; 29(4): 258-265.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2017, American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

29069111

PMCID

PMC5757308

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Despite the high prevalence of suicidality in psychiatrically hospitalized youth, its risk factors and impact on inpatient psychopharmacologic treatment are unknown. We identified characteristics associated with suicidality in psychiatrically hospitalized youth and determined the association of suicidality with subsequent psychopharmacologic interventions.
METHODS: Medical records from consecutive psychiatric admissions to a large, acute care, urban, pediatric hospital were analyzed retrospectively (N = 1,309). Demographic, clinical, and treatment-related features of suicidal and nonsuicidal youth were characterized. Logistic regression identified predictors of suicidality, and multiple comparison analyses evaluated the association between suicidality and changes to antidepressant prescribing during inpatient course.
RESULTS: Compared with nonsuicidal patients, inpatients who were suicidal were more likely to have a mood disorder or posttraumatic stress disorder, as well as Cannabis and alcohol use, were more commonly girls, and at least 13 years of age (all P ≤.05). Hospitalization was shorter for suicidal patients, was more likely to be associated with antidepressant treatment (P ≤.001), and among suicidal patients prescribed antidepressants at the time of admission, was associated with a greater likelihood of changing antidepressant treatment compared with nonsuicidal inpatients (P ≤.05).
CONCLUSIONS: These findings reveal differences between suicidal and nonsuicidal psychiatrically hospitalized youth and suggest that suicidality is associated with specific pharmacologic treatment approaches within this population.

Language: en

Keywords

Humans; Risk Factors; Child; Female; Male; Adolescent; Suicide; Retrospective Studies; Mood Disorders; Antidepressive Agents; Demography; Hospitals, Psychiatric; Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic