Year: 1985 Source: American Journal of Psychiatry, v.142, no.9, (September 1985), p.1061-1064 SIEC No: 19861314

A psychological autopsy of 20 children and adolescents aged 12-19 who had committed suicide and a matched-pair control group revealed that 85% of the victims and 18% of the control subjects had expressed suicidal ideation. A statistically significant number of the victims had a history of suicide threats (55%), suicide attempts (40%), drug or alcohol abuse (70%), or inhibited personality (65%). Suicidal behavior of parents, relatives, or friends was also a significant factor for the victims.