Suicidal Behavior in Child Psychiatric Inpatients and Outpatients and in Nonpatients

101 child psychiatric outpatients were assessed using a standard battery of measures to identify factors associated with suicidal behaviour. Data on these outpatients were compared to those for psychiatric inpatients & nonpatients previously studied. The frequency of suicidal behaviour among the outpatients (24.8%) was less than for a comparable group of inpatients (78.5%) but more than for a comparable group of nonpatients (12%). Four variables – recent general psychopathology, preoccupation with death, & recent & past depression – were significantly associated with suicidal behaviour in the three groups of children. (21 refs.)