Suicide Among Preadolescents: A Call to Action

Suicidal Ideation and Self-Harm Behavior in a Community Sample of Preadolescent Youth: A Case-Control Study

“…[6] While our findings are consistent with other studies, we extended current research by identifying links between suicide risk and two specific components of impulsivity, Sensation Seeking and Acting Without Thinking. Further, we add to prior self-report research by confirming increased levels of risk-taking in Endorsers.…”

“…[2] There has been significant research on understanding suicidal ideation and self-harm behavior in older youth, while less is known regarding suicide in younger populations. [3–6] The purpose of the present study was to examine factors associated with suicidal ideation and self-harm behaviors in youth ages 10.0–12.9.…”

Promoting “Zest for Life”: A Systematic Literature Review of Resiliency Factors to Prevent Youth Suicide

“…Suicidality in preadolescent children under 13 years is a growing concern. Westefeld et al (2010) report the need for a call to action for targeted suicide prevention for preadolescents, with continued support as they move through life transitions into later adolescence and young adulthood. In this review, however, only 11 studies included 12 year olds in their participant population age range, while three studies included children as young as 10 years old and one included children as young as nine years old.…”

“…The youngest participants included in our review were 10 years of age, with the majority of studies focusing on youth who were young adolescents or older. Amid growing concern for suicide risk among preadolescent children (Westefeld et al, 2010) and growing acknowledgement of the importance of supporting perinatal mental health for the long‐term wellness of children and families (Shahram et al, 2017), research that engages a life course perspective grounded in social ecological understandings of resilience is paramount to elucidating better understandings of the nature of resilience‐promoting processes. Such insights can inform development of more comprehensive community‐ and systems‐level interventions to promote facilitative environments that provide children and youth with the opportunity to thrive (Ungar, 2011).…”

Risk to self: identifying and managing risk of suicide and self-harm

“…Risk factors for child suicide include the presence of a mental health problem (Grøholt 2003), disorganised or insecure attachment (Pfeffer 1997), attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Sheftall 2016), autism spectrum disorder (Mayes 2013, cited in Headspace 2018), child sexual abuse (Tyler 2002), biological/hormonal changes particularly relating to the transition to puberty when suicide rates increase (Westefeld 2010), family conflict (Rajalin 2013), bullying/ cyberbullying (van Geel 2014), problems at school, social isolation/lack of social support (Westefeld 2010), family history of mood disorder and/or suicide and stressful life events (Gould 1996). On the contrary, Westefeld et al (2010) suggest that protective factors for children include a warm, supportive family with either no abuse or abuse identified and responded to at an early stage; early identification and intervention for mental health difficulties; psychoeducation of those in contact with children regarding suicide; and intervention following suicide of another to prevent the child seeing this as a viable solution/contagion. Differences in risk factors have been reported that suggest changes as a child moves into adolescence.…”