Children Who Poison Themselves I. A Clinical Comparison with Psychiatric Controls

50 schoolchildren, admitted as medical emergencies after poisoning themselves, were compared with 50 matched controls, resident in the same area of London, referred for psychiatric help for other reasons. The self-poisoners showed more psychiatric symptoms & more disturbed family relationships than did the psychiatric group; they were more likely to meet criteria for depressive disorder & to come from families showing little warmth.