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| Research article summary (published 30 Mar 2009): |
Childhood predictors of completed and severe suicide attempts: findings from the Finnish 1981 Birth Cohort Study.
Full Abstract
CONTEXT: To our knowledge, no prospective, population-based study in existence examines predictive associations between early or middle childhood psychopathologic disorders and later completed suicides. OBJECTIVE: To study predictive associations between childhood psychopathologic disorders at the age of 8 years and later completed suicides and severe suicide attempts. DESIGN: Birth cohort study of individuals 8 to 24 years old. SETTING: Finland. PARTICIPANTS: The sample includes 5302 Finnish people born in 1981 who were examined at the age of 8 years to gather information about psychopathologic conditions, school performance, and family demographics from parents, teachers, and children. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: National register-based lifetime information about completed suicides and suicide attempts that prompted hospital admission. RESULTS: Of all 24 deaths among males between 8 and 24 years of age, 13 were suicides, whereas of 16 deaths among females, only 2 were suicides. Fifty-four males and females (1%) had either completed suicide or made a serious suicide attempt, defined as a suicide attempt that prompted hospital admission. Of 27 males with completed or serious suicide attempts, 78% screened positive on parent or teacher Rutter scales at the age of 8 years, whereas of 27 females only 11% screened positive. Among males, completed or serious suicide attempt outcome was predicted at the age of 8 years by living in a nonintact family; psychological problems as reported by the primary teacher; or conduct, hyperkinetic, and emotional problems. However, self-reports of depressive symptoms at the age of 8 years did not predict suicide outcome. No predictive associations between the study variables measured at the age of 8 years and suicide outcome were found among females. Male suicide outcome was predicted most strongly by comorbid conduct and internalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS: Most males who completed suicide and/or made serious suicide attempts in adolescence or early adulthood had psychiatric problems by the age of 8 years, indicating a trajectory that persists throughout their lives. However, female severe suicidality is not predicted by psychopathologic disorders at the age of 8 years. The results give additional support to the importance of early detection and treatment of psychiatric problems in males.
Author information
Author/s: Sourander, Andre (A); Klomek, Anat Brunstein (AB); Niemelä, Solja (S); Haavisto, Antti (A); Gyllenberg, David (D); Helenius, Hans (H); Sillanmäki, Lauri (L); Ristkari, Terja (T); Kumpulainen, Kirsti (K); Tamminen, Tuula (T); Moilanen, Irma (I); Piha, Jorma (J); Almqvist, Fredrik (F); Gould, Madelyn S (MS);
Affiliation: Department of Child Psychiatry, Turku University Hospital, PO Box 52, 20520 Turku, Finland. andre.sourander(-atsign-)utu.fi
Journal and publication information
Publication Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Journal: Archives of general psychiatry (Arch Gen Psychiatry), published in United States. (Language: eng)
Reference: 2009-Apr; vol 66 (issue 4) : pp 398-406
Dates: Created 2009/04/07; Completed 2009/04/22;
PMID: 19349309, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 4/22/2009, IMS Date: )
Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.
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