Mental health professionals have long debated the impact of mental
health problems in children on their later mental health. An article published
in Medical News Today, April 7, “Mental Health Problems In Childhood May
Predict Later Suicide Attempts In Males,” examines this issue. The article
reports on a study published April 2009 issue of Archives of General
Psychiatry. The researchers
studied, “…..5,302 Finnish individuals born in 1981. Eight years later,
information about psychiatric conditions, school performance and family
demographics was gathered from children, parents and teachers. Participants
were then tracked through national registers through 2005.” The results of the
research were interesting. “Between ages 8 and 24, 40 participants died,
including 24 males and 16 females. Of those, 13 males and two females died from
suicide. A total of 54 males and females (1 percent) either completed suicide
or made a suicide attempt serious enough to result in hospitalization….Of the
27 males who either seriously attempted or completed suicide, 78 percent
screened positive for psychiatric conditions at age 8, compared with 11 percent
of 27 females who had serious or completed suicide attempts. In addition, males
who would go on to make life-threatening or completed suicide attempts were
more likely at age 8 to live in a family that did not consist of two biological
parents, have psychological problems as reported by a teacher or have conduct,
hyperactive or emotional problems. However, none of these factors at age 8
predicted later suicidal behavior in females, and depression at age 8 was not
associated with suicide attempts for either sex.” There are several important
implications of this study. First, parents of young children who are
experiencing mental health problems as early at the age of eight must get their
children evaluated and treated. In addition, these parents should be look for
symptoms of a mental disorder throughout the child’s adolescence and young
adulthood. Second, mental health professionals who are treating adolescents and
young adults should screen for an early childhood history of mental disorders.
Third, school professionals should be attentive to any signs of mental distress
in students, particularly those who have been known to have had childhood
mental disorders. Fourth, public health professionals should increase their
efforts to educate parents about suicide prevention techniques. The authors
conclude that “…The development of measures to effectively screen, detect and
treat childhood disorders is a key issue in the effort to prevent suicide among
males. This focus is particularly important among males with severe conduct
problems because, during adolescence, they usually do not seek mental health
services.”
The Bottom Line: The results of this study strongly suggest that mental disorders in young males increases the risk of suicide when these children become young adults.
Reference: The original article
Additional Sources of Information:
Great Informational Websites Created by Dr. Speller and Dr. Korkosz:
- Stress and the Human Brain
- Early Life Stress and the Immune System
- The Facts About Major Depressive Disorder
- The Parent's Guide to Understanding Adolescent Depression
Sources: See blogposts in Psychiatric Disorders: General
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Dr. Jeffrey Speller Dr. Tanya Korkosz
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