Suicidal youth tend to doubt the effectiveness of professional mental health treatment. This study examined whether exposure to films about suicidal and mentally disturbed persons supports this lack of belief. Exposure to three popular films featuring suicides or the mentally ill was compared to films that featured a heroic suicide unrelated to…

Suicide by self-poisoning is a prevalent cause of death worldwide. A substantial proportion of individuals who poison themselves come into contact with medical services before they die. Our focus in the current study was the medical management of drug self-poisoning in industrialized countries and its possible contribution to suicide prevention.…

Chronic dysfunction after complicated grief is not rare and emphasizes the need to identify bereaved individuals at risk. Three months following bereavement, self-reported psychiatric and general health of 153 relatives of 74 suicides was worse than of 70 relatives of 39 natural deaths. Moreover, the felt need for professional help was higher…

Objective: To assess the efficacy and tolerability of paroxetine in pediatric major depressive disorder. Method: Subjects 7 to 17 years old with major depressive disorder received paroxetine (10-50 mg/day) or placebo for 8 weeks from 2000 to 2001. The primary efficacy measure was change from baseline in the Children's Depression Rating…

Background: The extent to which abortion has harmful consequences for mental health remains controversial. We aimed to examine the linkages between having an abortion and mental health outcomes over the interval from age 15-25 years. Methods: Data were gathered as part of the Christchurch Health and Development Study, a 25-year longitudinal study…

The attacks of terror carried out on September 11, 2001 gave rise to waves of hate-fueled violence across the country. It has been argued that the attacks and the subsequent, current context of war have resulted in a heightened sense of American intolerance. They have led to discernable shifts in how certain minorities are perceived and treated in…

Suicide-related behavior (SRB) is significantly more prevalent among female (40.8%) than among male (28%) inmates, although suicide risk is higher among the latter. When instrumental behavior (IB) is excluded and only suicidal acts (SA) considered, rates for the two groups are more comparable (11.9% and 16%, respectively). Compared with other…

Objective: Escitalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor antidepressant indicated for use in adults. This trial examined the efficacy and safety of escitalopram in pediatric depression. Method: Patients (6-17 years old) with major depressive disorder were randomized to receive 8 weeks of double-blind flexibly dosed treatment with…

The particular migrational and acculturative stresses and psychosocial experiences of Latino families seem to converge to create unique conditions for suicide attempts by adolescent Latinas. Adolescent Latinas may internalize the ambivalence their mothers experience about the directions taken in their own lives. Suicide attempts in adolescent…

The assessment process can be integrated with treatment and evaluation for helping teenage suicide attempters and families in short term psychiatric hospitalization programs. The method is an extremely efficient way for the therapist to work within a given time constraint. During family assessment sufficient information can be gathered to…

One of the most persistent findings in the literature on suicidal behavior in adolescence is its association with the characteristics of the adolescent's family. Although empirical work clearly indicates that the family is a critical variable to consider in the study of teenage suicidal behavior, it is less clear how particular family features…

Findings of a literature review of school policies and procedures for school-based responses to death-related crises are presented in this paper. A rationale and guidelines for policy development and examples of practices for dealing with death-related incidents--such as suicide, homicide, drug overdose, and accidents--are described. Following an…

Part of the purpose of public schooling is to help children develop into productive adults who responsibly participate in a democratic community. The prevention of suicide is critical to the accomplishment of this purpose. Suicide prevention includes the development of policies and procedures that address enhancing school climate, developing…

An earlier study found that psychology interns who experienced patient suicides reported stress levels on the Impact of Event Scale higher than those found with professional clinicians who had patient suicides. The present study is a replication of the earlier study but with a much larger sample and an attempt to assess a broader spectrum of…

This brief guide is intended to aid instructors and counselors in helping students who are exhibiting emotional problems or suicidal behavior. Specific clues which indicate that a student is in emotional trouble or is potentially suicidal are listed along with actions which should be taken and crucial mistakes which should be avoided. (DC)