Aggression and the Risk for Suicidal Behaviors Among Children

Two subtypes of aggression – reactive & proactive – were examined to see how they relate to suicidal behaviours among young children admitted for acute psychiatric inpatient care. The children & their parents completed self-report questionnaires/interviews. Regression analyses revealed that depressed girls who scored higher on reactive aggression reported more suicidal behaviours; whereas proactive aggression did not relate to suicidal behaviours for either boys or girls. (31 refs.) JA