Discusses children's understanding of death during early and middle childhood. Describes four basic considerations (communication, acceptance, routine, and reactions) that apply to all situations with bereaved children. Looks at situation-specific reactions to terminally ill classmate, parental death, death of sibling, death of friend or relative,…

Summarizes what is currently known about the potential, immediate, and long-term impact of child sexual abuse. The various problems and symptoms described in the literature on child sexual abuse are reviewed in a series of broad categories including posttraumatic stress, cognitive distortions, emotional pain, avoidance, an impaired sense of self,…

Foster children and young people who are coming into care are particularly at risk for suicide. The successful prevention of a crisis depends on the ability of foster parents and agency staff members to understand the nature of the situation and work together in dealing with it. (BC)

Summarizes a study comparing U.S., Philippine, and Turkish students for relation of depression and suicidal thoughts to an external locus of control. Concludes that higher external locus of control scores were positively though weakly associated with depression and history of suicidal preoccupation among all subjects. (DK)

Presents information about suicide among adolescents. Profiles the suicidal person and reviews general distress signals and events precipitating suicide. Suggests responses to potential or actual suicides, including intervention, prevention, and ministry strategies. Provides recommendations for educators and clarifies common myths about suicide.…

Twelve papers on the emergence and maintenance of severe clinical depression and depressive symptoms during adolescence are presented. Topics include parental influences, epidemiological data, depressive and negative affect, hormonal effects, preadolescent symptoms, sex differences, longitudinal studies with rhesus monkeys, suicidal ideation,…

Tested stress-problem-solving and stress-social support models in etiology of depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and suicide ideation for Asian international students (n=101). Hypothesized problem-solving skills and social support as mediators between life stress and depressive symptoms, hopelessness, and suicide ideation. Results supported…

A university professor describes the relationship he experienced with his daughter, and her relationship with the man who murdered her and then committed suicide. A special-education professor reacts by discussing prevention and intervention as the keys to survival. The father states that he plans to use this tragedy to help troubled youth. (MKA)

Discusses how the adviser of the Hillcrest High School (Dallas, Texas) and the student staff covered the suicide of a fellow student. Notes that the adviser, who is committed to student decision making, made sure the student staff raised the appropriate ethical questions when deciding on the type, amount, and duration of coverage of the suicide.…

Researchers say the best way to prevent suicide is to find and treat kids with depression and substance-abuse problems. Schools should also develop a suicide-prevention policy, make curriculum decisions wisely, train staff as detectives, notify parents, make sure affected children get help, and attend to survivors. (Contains 13 references.) (MLH)

In a study of Slovenian high school students (N=3,687) results show that those who had attempted suicide and those who had not differed in levels of self-esteem, emotional reaction to family problems, running away from home, and substance abuse. Differences in depression, suicide ideation, family suicide ideation, family suicide occurrence,…

Examined psychiatrically disturbed adolescents' history of exposure to suicide attempts, completions, and other deaths in relation to attitudes about life and death. Explores the mediating processes involved in the impact of loss on suicidality. Concludes that a comprehensive history of loss and assessment of attitudes toward death are important…

Uses recent data and new theoretical perspectives to reexamine hypothesized links between academic competition and adolescent suicide in East Asia, particularly Japan. Finds no direct connection, discusses possible indirect effects on individual motives, and suggests a more complicated model. Analyzes how cultural and historical factors may…

Examined the predictive validity of urban first-graders' self-reports of depressed mood and feelings with respect to later psychopathology and adaptive functioning. Found that subjects' self-reports of depressed mood predicted later academic functioning, the need for and use of mental health services, suicidal ideation, and major depressive…

Study aimed to identify risk factors, such as family pathology and psychosocial stress, of overdose suicide attempts among Bahraini youth. Stresses from living in a non-intact family; interpersonal relationships mainly with the opposite sex; unemployment; and school performance emerged as main risk factors. Previously identified factors, such as…