SELF-ESTEEM, DEPRESSION, HOPELESSNESS, AND SUICIDAL INTENT AMONG PSYCHIATRICALLY DISTURBED INPATIENT CHILDREN

Evaluated depression, hopelessness, and self-esteem in suicidal ideation and attempt among inpatient children (N = 123, ages 6 to 13 years). Suicidal ideators (n = 39), attempters (n = 42), and nonsuicidal patient control children (n = 42) participated. The major findings were that: (a) suicidal children reported significantly greater depression and hopelessness and lower self-esteem than did nonsuicidal children; (b) depression, as measured by the Children's Depression Inventory (CDI), was the single best predictor of suicidal ideation and attempt; (c) hopelessness and self-esteem did not contribute further to the discrimination of suicidal children once CDI depression entered, (d) when the CDI was replaced by diagnosis of depression in the discriminant analysis, the Self-Esteem Inventory became the only measure to enter the equation; (e) suicidal girls were classified with greater accuracy than suicidal boys; and (f) the contribution of depression and self-esteem to discriminating between suicidal and nonsuicidal children varied as a function of the child's age. The results convey that depression and related cognitive domains discriminate suicidal and nonsuicidal children and vary in this regard as a function of child age and sex.