Child Survivors of Suicide: Psychosocial Characteristics

Abstract

To describe psychosocial characteristics of children and young adolescents who experienced the recent suicidal death of a parent or sibling. Sixteen families with children aged 5 years to 14 years and who experienced the suicidal death of a relative on average within the year of research assessment were recruited from the community and evaluated with standard research instruments for levels of children's psychiatric symptoms and social adjustment. Child survivors of suicide had a higher rate of internalizing symptoms and poorer school adjustments than a standard community sample. Twenty-five percent of the families had children who reported clinically significant symptoms of depression. Approximately 40% of the families included children who reported at least moderate symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Approximately 31% of families had at least one child who reported suicidal ideation, but no child reported a suicide attempt. Significant associations were identified between psychosocial features of the children and parental psychiatric symptoms and stressful life events. Child survivors of suicide are at risk for psychiatric symptoms and social maladjustment which require early identification and preventive intervention to minimize risk for more extensive psychosocial morbidity.