Suicide in Children and Adolescents (Cambridge Child and Adolescent Psychiatry)

In an epoch when rates of death and illness among the young have steadily decreased in the face of medical progress, the persistently high rates of youth suicide and suicide attempts around the world remain a tragic irony and a challenge to both our clinical practice and theoretical understanding. How can these deaths be prevented? Can they be anticipated? Are there perceptible patterns of risk and vulnerability? What role do families, gender, culture, and biology play? What are the treatments for and outcomes of suicide attempters? To address these questions, experts from around the world in all areas of psychiatry, from epidemiology, neurobiology, genetics and psychotherapy, have brought together their current findings in Suicide in Children and Adolescents.

Experts from all areas of mental health care address the questions of prediction and prevention of suicide in young people.

Doody Review Services

Reviewer:Huma Pandit, MD(Rush University Medical Center)
Description:This is an excellent attempt at addressing every aspect of suicide causality in the child and adolescent population. The authors provide a sensitive and enlightening account of the problem of suicide in present day youth. It is concise, carefully conceptualized, and well written.
Purpose:The authors intend to explore the various factors that may explain youth suicidal behavior and also present the current state of scientific and clinical knowledge regarding such behavior in children and adolescents. The book covers all the critical elements of suicidal behavior in this group.
Audience:This unique source of information will be of greatest value to clinicians, healthcare professionals, social workers, and therapists.
Features:This book has been carefully divided into 13 chapters and begins with the epidemiology of suicide. The authors have tried to give a balanced account of all factors contributing to or increasing suicidal behavior in youth. They discuss the risks and protective factors over the life span and their impact on suicidality, an interesting dimension.
Assessment:The authors have a wonderful way of making sense out of the complex interplay of biopsychosocial and psychodynamic forces that lead youth to end their lives. The topics of suicide evaluation and prevention are immensely helpful and very thorough, especially for healthcare professionals working with children.

The epidemiology of youth suicide -- Madelyn S. Gould, -- David Shaffer, -- Ted Greenberg Suicide and the "continuum of adolescent self-destructiveness": is there a connection? -- Robert A. King, -- Vladislav V. Ruchkin, -- Mary E. Schwab-Stone Adolescent attempted suicide -- Alan Apter, -- Danuta Wasserman Familial factors in adolescent suicidal behavior -- David A. Brent, -- J. John Mann Biological factors influencing suicidal behavior in adolescents -- Alan Apter Psychodynamics approaches to youth suicide -- Robert A. King Cross-cultural variation in child and adolescent suicide -- Michael J. Kelleher, -- Derek Chambers An idiographic approach to understanding suicide in the young -- Alan L. Berman Assessing suicidal behavior in children and adolescents -- Cynthia R. Pfeffer Suicide prevention for adolescents -- Israel Orbach Cognitive behavioral therapy after deliberate self-harm in adolescence -- Richard Harrington, -- Younus Saleem Follow-up studies of child and adolescent suicide attempters -- Julie Boergers, -- Anthony Spirito Children and adolescents bereaved by a suicidal death: implications for psychosocial outcomes and interventions -- Cornelia L. Gallo, -- Cynthia R. Pfeffer. Suicide is the fourth most common cause of death in the U.S. among 10-14 year olds, third among 15-19 year olds, and second among 20-24 year olds. Experts from all areas of psychiatry, (including epidemiology, neurobiology, genetics and psychotherapy) have brought together in this volume the most recent findings in their fields to address important questions. How can these deaths be prevented? Can they be anticipated? Are there perceptible patterns? What role do families and gender play? What are the treatments for and outcomes of suicide attempters?