Suicidal ideation among urban nine and ten year olds.
Little is known about rates and correlates of suicidal ideation among nonclinical samples of preadolescents from low-income urban backgrounds. Using the Children's Depression Inventory, we measured suicidal ideation in 131 preadolescent urban children (49% female, 90% African American/Caribbean) participating in an ongoing prospective longitudinal study of prenatal cocaine exposure and children's outcome. Suicidal ideation was reported by 14.5% of the children in this sample at 9 to 10 years of age. Children's reports of depressive symptoms, exposure to violence, and distress symptoms in response to witnessing violence were associated with suicidal ideation, but prenatal cocaine exposure, parent-rated child behavior, and caregivers' psychological distress symptoms were not. Suicidal ideation may be more prevalent among preadolescents from urban, low-income backgrounds than clinicians suspect, particularly among children exposed to violence.
O'Leary
Catherine C
CC
Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Frank
Deborah A
DA
Grant-Knight
Wanda
W
Beeghly
Marjorie
M
Augustyn
Marilyn
M
Rose-Jacobs
Ruth
R
Cabral
Howard J
HJ
Gannon
Katherine
K
D044383:Black People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D001900:Boston; D002648:Child; D016241:Child of Impaired Parents / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003042:Cocaine / Q000009:adverse effects; D019970:Cocaine-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009035:Mothers / Q000523:psychology; D010552:Personality Assessment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010555:Personality Inventory / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011594:Psychometrics; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014505:Urban Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014754:Violence / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001741:Black or African American
D003042:Cocaine