CHILD SURVIVORS OF SUICIDE - PSYCHOSOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS

Objective: To describe psychosocial characteristics of children and yo ung adolescents who experienced the recent suicidal death of a parent or sibling. Method: 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 communi ty and evaluated with standard research instruments for levels of chil dren's psychiatric symptoms and social adjustment. Results: Child surv ivors of suicide had a higher rate of internalizing symptoms and poore r school adjustment than a standard community sample. Twenty-five perc ent of the families had children who reported clinically significant s ymptoms of depression. Approximately 40% of the families included chil dren who reported at least moderate symptoms of posttraumatic stress. Approximately 31% of families had at least one child who reported suic idal ideation, but no child reported a suicide attempt. Significant as sociations were identified between psychosocial features of the childr en and parental psychiatric symptoms and stressful life events. Conclu sion: Child survivors of suicide are at risk for psychiatric symptoms and social maladjustment which require early identification and preven tive intervention to minimize risk for more extensive psychosocial mor bidity.