title: The misinterpretation of a non-REM sleep parasomnia as suicidal behavior in an adolescent.
abstract: We report a case of misinterpretation of a non-REM sleep parasomnia as suicidal behavior in an early adolescent. A 12-year-old female with a history of sleepwalking but no prior psychiatric diagnosis awoke in the middle of the night with a deep laceration to her neck and complete amnesia for the event. During the initial 2-week pediatric hospitalization, it was believed that the wound was intentionally self-inflicted despite patient claims and evidence to the contrary. The patient was placed on a psychiatric hold and transferred to an appropriate facility. We review rule-out diagnoses and evidence supporting this case as an example of a violent non-REM parasomnia resulting in self-injurious behavior. Diagnostic and treatment implications are discussed.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Neuropsychiatric Institute and Hospital, Los Angeles, California, USA. jshatkin@sbcglobal.net
authors.forename: Jess P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Shatkin
authors.forename: Kristin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Feinfield
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Strober
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020447:Parasomnias / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology*