Suicide in early childhood: A brief review

Abstract

The rate of suicide in the United States among prepubertal children and young adolescents had increased by 120% from 1980 to 1992. From 1992 to the present the rate has decreased slightly by 33%. We address a brief review of the most relevant findings in literature that are related to the risk of suicide. Although the most reported findings were child mood disorder, any type of family distress and family history of suicide attempts, the severity of those does not seem to increase the risk of suicide. However, there were other environmental factors that may influence the risk of suicide, such as the access to firearms. It is critical to detect risk factors and triggers in prepubertal populations in order to reduce the incidence of suicide in this age group and older age groups.