A Suicide Threat Uncovers Multiple Family Problems (IN: Play Therapy With Children in Crisis: Individual, Group, and Family Treatment, edited by N B Webb 2nd Edition)

The case discussed in this chapter is that of Philip, an 8-year-old African American boy whose parents had been separated for 4 years & divorced for 2 years. Philip was referred to the psychiatric emergency room by his school for an evaluation by the child & adolescent crisis intervention team. The school reported Philip had expressed a wish to kill himself, & that he actually had begun to carry out the threat. (15 refs.)