Suicidal Behavior in Children and Adolescents (Current Perspectives in Psychology)

327 Pages·2009·2.37 MB·English

by  Barry M. Wagner

Current Perspectives in Psychology
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Suicidal
Behavior
in Children
and
Adolescents
Barry M. Wagner
YALE UNIVERSITY PRESS NEW HAVEN AND LONDON
Copyright © 2009 by Yale University.
All rights reserved.
Th is book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, including illustrations, in any
form (beyond that copying permitted by Sections 107 and 108 of the U.S. Copyright
Law and except by reviewers for the public press), without written permission from
the publishers.
Set in Adobe Garamond by IBT Global.
Printed in the United States of America by IBT Global.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Wagner, Barry M.
Suicidal behavior in children and adolescents / Barry M. Wagner.
p. cm. (Current perspectives in psychology)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-300-11250-4 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Teenagers—Suicidal behavior—
United States. 2. High school students—Suicidal behavior—United States.
3. Suicide—United States. I. Title.
HV6546.W34 2009
618.92'—dc 
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Th is paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992 (Permanence of
Paper).
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
To Julia
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Contents
Series Foreword Alan E. Kazdin ix
Acknowledgments xi
CHAPTER 1
Introduction 1
CHAPTER 2
Nature and Scope of the Problem 7
CHAPTER 3
Theoretical and Developmental Considerations 43
CHAPTER 4
Social Relationships 78
CHAPTER 5
Stress, Coping, and Emotion Regulation 112
CHAPTER 6
Psychopathology 139
CHAPTER 7
Assessment and Treatment 159
CHAPTER 8
Prevention 219
References 263
Index 307
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Series Foreword
Current Perspectives in Psychology presents the latest discoveries and devel-
opments across the spectrum of the psychological and behavioral sci-
ences. Th e series explores such important topics as learning, intelligence,
trauma, stress, brain development and behavior, anxiety, interpersonal
relationships, education, child-rearing, divorce and marital discord, and
child, adolescent, and adult development. Each book focuses on critical
advances in research, theory, methods, and applications and is designed
to be accessible and informative to nonspecialists and specialists alike.
Th is book focuses on suicidal behavior among children and ado-
lescents. Dr. Barry Wagner provides a remarkably clear and integrative
evaluation of the subject, and key topics are thoroughly covered, includ-
ing a description of the problem, current theories to explain the problem,
research on precursors, risk factors, and possible causes, and treatment
and prevention techniques. Suicidal behavior among children and ado-
lescents connects with many other lines of research that are fascinating
and important in their own right. Examples include stress in peer and
family relations, the availability of guns in the home, substance use and
abuse among children and adolescents, contagion (the increase in sui-
cide attempts and completions that occurs after a suicide is portrayed in
the news), the eff ect of the media on specifi c behaviors leading to suicide
(e.g., depictions of drug overdose), and medication of children and its
side eff ects. Wagner makes these connections to suicide very clear and in
the process shows that suicidal behavior is about the lives of individuals
in multiple contexts. New material regarding the assessment of suicidal
behavior among children, the obstacles to identifying suicide attempts,
and the current methods of treatment make this a book that is without
peer in scholarship and comprehensiveness. In light of Dr. Wagner’s sci-
entifi c and clinical contributions on the topic and the impact his work
has on improving the lives of children, his book is an important addition
to the Current Perspectives in Psychology series.
Alan E. Kazdin
Series Editor
■ ix ■