Suicidal Behaviors and Childhood-Onset Depressive Disorders: a Longitudinal Investigation

The subjects studied in this article were outpatient youth with depressive disorders & youth with other psychiatric disorders. 66% of them had suicidal ideation at study entry; 9% had attempted suicide. Ideation rates were stable over time; rate of attempts reached 24% by the average age of 17 years. Major depressive & dysthmic disorders were associated with significantly higher rates of suicidal behaviors than were adjustment disorder with depressed mood & nondepressive disorders. (56 Refs.)