Suicidal children grow up: psychiatric treatment during follow-up period

This study compares the treatment course during a 6- to 8-year follow-up period of 53 suicidal preadolescent and young adolescent psychiatric inpatients with those of 16 nonsuicidal psychiatric inpatients and 64 nonpatients selected from a community. The three groups of subjects were matched on demographic characteristics. All 69 patients and 10 (15.6%) nonpatients received treatment during follow-up. Treatment course during follow-up for suicidal patients was significantly longer, earlier, and more intensive than for the nonpatient controls. Fifty-five percent of 20 subjects who attempted suicide during follow-up were in treatment at the time of the suicide attempt.