Traumatic Injuries of Children and Adolescents – are They Associated With Psychiatric Contacts?

The aim of this study was to investigate whether a large number of injury-related hospital visits by children & adolescents are associated with psychiatric treatments & subsequent suicides. The authors examined the case records of randomly chosen patients who were 0-16 years old & had been treated because of traumatic injuries in Oulu University Hospital in 1984. They found a link between high rates of traumatic accidental injuries & subsequent psychiatric treatments & suicide. Findings are discussed. (37 refs)