Premium
ADHD and Aggression as Correlates of Suicidal Behavior in Assaultive Prepubertal Psychiatric Inpatients
Author(s) -
Goodman Geoff,
Gerstadt Cherie,
Pfeffer Cynthia R.,
Stroh Martha,
Valdez Adina
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
suicide and life‐threatening behavior
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.544
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1943-278X
pISSN - 0363-0234
DOI - 10.1521/suli.2008.38.1.46
Subject(s) - aggression , anger , clinical psychology , psychiatry , poison control , psychology , injury prevention , depression (economics) , suicide prevention , medicine , medical emergency , economics , macroeconomics
Forty‐three psychiatrically hospitalized prepubertal children were assessed regarding their assaultive and suicidal behaviors. These children were subsequently classified into two groups, assaultive/suicidal (AS) and assaultive‐only (AO). AS children had higher aggression and suicidal‐scale scores, but not higher depression scores, and were more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD. ADHD, child's aggression, and maternal depression and state anger accounted for 33% of the variance in suicidal‐scale scores. Aggression mediated the relation between ADHD and suicidal behavior. Differences in symptom pattern between these two subtypes of assaultive inpatient children are interpreted as a basis for distinctive screening procedures.