Skip to main content
Log in

Suicidal behavior among psychiatric outpatient children: An estimate of prevalence

  • Articles
  • Published:
Child Psychiatry and Human Development Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The prevalence of suicidal behaviors displayed by pre-adolescent psychiatric outpatients has been estimated to range between 25 percent and 33 percent of the outpatient population. The current study assessed suicidal behaviors displayed by 40 children aged 12 and younger who were evaluated in a psychiatric outpatient service According to the Pfeffer Spectrum of Suicidal Behavior Scale, 15 percent of the sample had recently engaged in some form of suicidal behavior and almost 3 percent had made a suicide attempt that was viewed as realistically endangering life.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Myers RM, Burke P, McCauley E: Suicidal behavior by hospitalized preadolescent children on a psychiatric unit.J Am Acad Child Psychiat 24:474–480, 1985.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Pfeffer CR, Plutchik R, Mizruchi MS, Faughnan L, Mintz M, Shindledecker R: Changes in suicidal behavior in child psychiatric inpatients.Acta Psychiat Scand 79:431–435, 1989.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Pfeffer CR:The Suicidal Child. New York, Guilford Press, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Pfeffer CR, Conte HR, Plutchik R, Jerrett I: Suicidal behavior in latency age children: An outpatient population.J Am Acad Child Psychiat 19:703–710, 1980.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Pfeffer CR, Plutchik R, Mizruchi MS, Lipkins R: Suicidal behavior in child psychiatric inpatients and outpatients and in nonpatients.Am J of Psychiat 143:733–738, 1986.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Milling L, Campbell, NB, Bush, E, Laughlin, A:The prevalence of suicudal behavior among psychiatric inpatient children. Presented at meeting of American Psychological Association in Boston, MA on August 10–14, 1990.

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Milling, L., Gyure, K., Davenport, C.W. et al. Suicidal behavior among psychiatric outpatient children: An estimate of prevalence. Child Psych Hum Dev 21, 283–289 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705932

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00705932

Key Words

Navigation