Parents' awareness of children's suicide attempts

Article Abstract:

In the last 30 years, the number of young adults aged 15 through 24 years old who have committed suicide has increased by more than 100 percent. Among adolescents, suicide is the third leading cause of death. A history of suicidal behavior or suicide attempts often lurks behind the eventual successful attempt, and a history of suicidal behavior may thus help identify those individuals who are at high risk. It has been observed that psychiatric symptoms are frequently underreported by parents of children with such problems. This is compounded by the fact that, historically, doctors have relied upon parents' reports for the bulk of the child's case history data. To explore the significance of this potentially flawed method of obtaining accurate patient information, children and their mothers were interviewed regarding the history of suicide attempts by the child. A total of 175 children were determined to be at either low or high risk for psychiatric disorder, based on the depressive status of their parents. Three brief case studies are included to illustrate the nature of the suicide attempts reported. Overall, 7 percent (13 children) of the children were reported to have made a suicide attempt by either the child or the mother. Out of these 13 children, eight of their mothers reported that they were unaware of these attempts. These results support the idea that psychiatric symptoms in children are frequently underreported by their parents. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Research, Prevention, Children, Suicide prevention, Teenagers, Youth

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Suicide and guilt as manifestations of PTSD in Vietnam combat veterans

Article Abstract:

Researchers since the turn of the century have noticed that veterans of war have a much higher rate of suicide than the general population, especially when they have had post-war psychiatric problems and previous combat experience. However, there has been little systematic investigation of the underlying reasons for this. The present study was undertaken to identify factors related to suicide among Vietnam combat veterans who suffered from posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after the war. The subjects were 100 men who had experienced combat in Vietnam about 15 years earlier and who, upon evaluation, were found to suffer from PTSD. A comprehensive questionnaire and psychological tests were completed and the men underwent five interviews designed to gather information about their wartime experiences, current and lifetime PTSD symptoms, and about their life before and after service in Vietnam. Nineteen of the 100 men had made a suicide attempt after the war, and an additional 15 had suicidal preoccupation. Suicide behavior and thinking was related to guilt about combat actions (especially the killing of women and children), survivor guilt, depression, anxiety, and severe PTSD symptoms (e.g., flashbacks and nightmares). Combat guilt was the most significant predictor of suicidal behavior or thoughts. It is therefore concluded that PTSD is a psychiatric disorder accompanied by considerable risk for suicide in this population. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

Complications and side effects, Risk factors, Guilt, Guilt (Psychology), Post-traumatic stress disorder, Vietnam veterans

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