3 ARTICLES COVERING THE RECENT STUDIES OF SUICIDE IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

TITLE

ARTICLE #1:  Pediatricians can help identify suicidal teens

DESCRIPTION

“Suicide is the second-leading cause of death in adolescents ages 15 to 19 and the third-leading cause of death in children ages 10 to 14, [according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey].”  This article is a straight forward Q&A about teen suicide, prevalence, problems with social media, and identifying potential adolescents who are contemplating suicide.   The focus is on how pediatricians might approach an adolescent patient in bringing up the subject.  Also, advice to parents is highlighted in the article.

SOURCE

Baltimore Sun, August 24, 2016, by Andrea K. McDaniels

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-expert-pediatric-suicide-20160824-story.html

(Tiny URL)  http://tinyurl.com/h8334m2

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ARTICLE #2:  Why Young Children Are Dying by Suicide

DESCRIPTION

A recent study of child suicide researched “two age groups: 5-11, which accounted for children in elementary school, and early adolescents ages 12-14.”  The study found commonalities in both groups:  mostly male, suicide happened at home, and one-third had been diagnosed with a mental disorder.  Further, it was found that the younger group were more likely diagnosed with ADD and ADHD as well as having significant family problems while the older group were found to have a higher rate of depression and issues with peers and other relationships.  A significant finding was that “Younger children who died by suicide were far more likely to be black than early adolescents—a surprising finding, since suicide rates for young people are consistently higher in white Americans, but one that bolsters recent data finding a rise of suicides in black children and a drop in white children.”
See article #3 below for the actual full study.

SOURCE

Time, September 19, 2016, by Mandy Oaklander

LINK TO RESOURCE

(Tiny URL)  http://tinyurl.com/zjxqhl6

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ARTICLE #3:  Suicide in Elementary School-Aged Children and Early Adolescents

 
DESCRIPTION

This is the actual study that has been summarized by the Time Magazine article above.

It is provided for the purpose understanding how science can provide answers through research.   The study can be used in many ways that include the beginning of the semester when the text covers research methods, as a topic in child development, and also under the abnormal/psychopathology topic in the text book.

The link below opens a pdf of the entire Pediatrics study.

SOURCE

PEDIATRICS Volume  138 , number  4 ,  October 2016 :e 20160436

Sheftall, A et al (October 2016, VOLUME 138 / ISSUE 4)

LINK TO RESOURCE

http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/138/4/e20160436.full.pdf

(Tiny URL)  http://tinyurl.com/gwvp9dt

CLASS DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

•What is SUICIDOLOGY?   (study of suicide)

•What are the known statistics for suicide in children and adolescents as compared to the adult population in general?

•What are the demographics for those who attempt suicide?

•What are the findings of the recent Pediatrics study comparing children (elementary school age) to adolescents?

•What is comorbidity?   How does comorbidity play a role in child suicide?

•Why does the article suggest that pediatricians may be on the front line for prevention of suicide in children and adolescents?