ADHD and aggression as correlates of suicidal behavior in assaultive prepubertal psychiatric inpatients.
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.
Goodman
Geoff
G
Long Island University, Clinical Psychology Doctoral Program, Brookville, NY 11548, USA. ggoodman@liu.edu
Gerstadt
Cherie
C
Pfeffer
Cynthia R
CR
Stroh
Martha
M
Valdez
Adina
A
D000328:Adult; D000374:Aggression; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006778:Hospitals, Psychiatric; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D016728:Self-Injurious Behavior; D013406:Suicide, Attempted