[Suicidal behavior in childhood and adolescence]

The authors present briefly statistical data pertaining to attempted suicide and completed suicide, they reflect on psychological criteria of true suicidal behaviour. They emphasize the necessity of subsequent specialized care after attempted suicide even in cases where objectively inadequate methods were used, as in childhood and adolescence there is the danger that the attempt will be repeated. The authors mention the statistically most frequent combinations of suicidal behaviour and other diseases, disorders or social pathology, incl. pathological family relations. The authors emphasize the clinically tested experience demonstrated on case-histories that if the pathological family relations are not the obvious immediate cause of suicidal behaviour, they play nevertheless an important, frequently fundamental though latent role in the development of autoaggressive behaviour of children and adolescents. This is why the comprehensive therapeutic approach is based on family therapy which proceeds in the out-patient department after the patient has been discharged from hospital.