Developmental Aspects of Suicidal Behavior in Children and Developmentally Delayed Adolescents

This study hypothesized that suicidal children & adolescents would be more equivocal about the irreversibility of death, would have more personal acquaintance with suicide, & would have clearer notions about how to commit suicide. Findings from a previous study led to the hypothesis that older suicidal children would behave more like adolescents in terms of their knowledge about suicide methods. It was speculated that younger nonsuicidal children would think that a person who attempts suicide does not really want to die & that older suicidal youngsters would think the opposite. Finally, it was expected all suicidal subjects would name depression or misery as major motivations for suicide. Support was found for some of the hypotheses. However, the variables studied impacted differently depending on age & development. It is likely that whatever complex interactions are ultimately found to account for suicide in one group will not necessarily be applicable to another group. (29 refs.)