Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-r7xzm Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-29T05:49:17.898Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

8 - Suicide and delinquent adolescents

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2009

Amer Smajkic
Affiliation:
Rush University Medical Center Marshall Field IV Building 1720 West Polk Street Chicago, IL 60612 USA
David C. Clark
Affiliation:
Rush University Medical Center Armour Academic Center 600 Paulina Suite 529 Chicago, IL 60612 USA
Carol L. Kessler
Affiliation:
Columbia University, New York
Louis James Kraus
Affiliation:
Rush University, Chicago
Get access

Summary

Introduction

According to the Surgeon General of the United States, youth suicide is a national tragedy and a major public health problem (US Department of Health and Human Services, 1999). From 1950–2001, the suicide rate for young people (ages 15–24) tripled from 2.7 per 100 000 to 9.9 per 100 000 (Arias et al., 2003). In 2002 the rates were unchanged at 9.9 per 100 000 (Kochanek et al., 2002). The 2001 rate translated to 13 435 deaths of adolescents ages 15–19 years.

From 1952–1994, the incidence of suicide among adolescents approximately tripled, although there has been a general decline in youth suicides since 1994. In 1950 the death rate for adolescent suicide was 2.7 per 100 000, in 1990 it was 11.1 per 100 000, with a decline to 7.4 per 100 000 in 2002. From 1950–1990 the suicide rate among adolescents increased by 411 percent. From 1990–2002 the suicide rate for 15- to 19-year-olds decreased by 33%. See Fig. 8.1.

Over the same period (1950 to present), unintentional injury has remained the leading cause of death for adolescents. In 2001 unintentional injury accounted for approximately 48 percent of all deaths among adolescents ages 15–19 years. Homicide and suicide have consistently ranked as the second and third leading causes of death, accounting for 14 and 12 percent, respectively, of all deaths among 15 to 19-year-olds (National Center for Health Prevention and Injury Control, 2001).

Type
Chapter
Information
The Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders
Forging Paths toward Reintegration and Rehabilitation
, pp. 180 - 197
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

AACAP (2005). Practice parameter for the assessment and treatment of youth in juvenile detention and correctional facilities. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44(10), 1085–1098.
Alessi, N., McManus, M., Brickman, A. & Grapentine, L. (1984). Suicidal behavior among serious juvenile offenders. American Journal of Psychiatry, 141 (2), 286–287.Google Scholar
Alexander, J. F. & Parsons, B. V. (1982). Functional Family Therapy. Monterey, CA: Brooks/Cole.
American Correctional Association (1991). Standards for Juvenile Detention Facilities and Standards for Juvenile Correctional Facilities. Laurel, MD: Author.
Arias, E., Anderson, R., Kung, H., Murphy, S. & Kochanek, K. (2003). Deaths: final data for 2001. National Vital Statistics Report, 52(3). Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics.Google Scholar
Askenazy, F. L., Sorci, K., Benoit, M.et al. (2003). Anxiety and impulsivity levels identify relevant subtypes in adolescents with at-risk behavior. Journal of Affective Disorders, 74 (3), 219–227.Google Scholar
Battle, A. O., Battle, M. V. & Tolley, E. A. (1993). Potential for suicide and aggression in delinquents at Juvenile Court in a southern city. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 23(3), 230–244.Google Scholar
Biggam, F. H. & Power, K. G. (2002). A controlled, problem-solving, group-based intervention with vulnerable incarcerated young offenders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology, 6(6), 678–698.Google Scholar
Bonner, R. (1992). Isolation, seclusion, and psychological vulnerability as risk factors for suicide behind bars. In Maris, R.et al., eds., Assessment and Prediction of Suicide. New York, NY: Guilford Press, pp. 398–419.
Borduin, C. M., Mann, B. J., Cone, L.et al. (1995). Multisystemic treatment of serious juvenile offenders: long-term prevention of criminality and violence. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 63, 569–578.Google Scholar
Brent, D. (1995). Risk factors for adolescent suicide and suicidal behavior: mental and substance abuse disorders, family environmental factors, and life stress. Suicide and Life Threatening Behavior, 25 (Supplement), 52–63.Google Scholar
Bronfenbrener, U. (1979). The Ecology of Human Development: Experiments by Nature and Design. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (2000). Correctional Populations in the United States, 1997. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice.
Bureau of Justice Statistics (2001). Census of Jails, 1999. Washington, DC: US Department of Justice.
Chamberlain, P. (1990). Comparative evaluation of specialized foster care for seriously delinquent youth: a first step. community alternatives. International Journal of Family Care, 2, 21–36.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, P. & Reid, J. B. (1994). Differences in risk factors and adjustment for male and female delinquents in treatment foster care. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 3, 23–39.Google Scholar
Chamberlain, P. & Reid, J. B. (1998). Comparison of two community alternatives to incarceration for chronic juvenile offenders. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(4), 624–633.Google Scholar
Cole, D. A. (1989). Psychopathology of adolescent suicide: hopelessness, coping beliefs, and depression. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98, 248–255Google Scholar
Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (2003). Performance-based Standards (PbS) for Youth Correction and Detention Facilities: PbS Goals, Standards, Outcome Measures, Expected Practices and Processes. Braintree, MA: Author.
Criminal Justice Institute (2000). The 2000 Corrections Yearbook: Adult Corrections. Middletown, CT: Author.
Davis, D., Bean, G., Schumacher, J. & Stringer, T. (1991). Prevalence of emotional disorders in a juvenile justice institutional population. American Journal of Forensic Psychology, 9, 1–13.Google Scholar
Dembo, R., Williams, L., Wish, E.et al. (1990). Examination of the relationships among drug use, emotional/psychological problems, and crime among youths entering a juvenile detention center. The International Journal of the Addictions, 25, 1301–1340.Google Scholar
Duclos, C., LeBeau, W. & Elias, G. (1994). American Indian suicidal behavior in detention environments: cause for continued basic and applied research. Jail Suicide Update, 5(4), 4–9.Google Scholar
Duclos, C. W., Beals, J., Novins, D. K.et al. (1998). Prevalence of common psychiatric disorders among American Indian adolescent detainees. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37(8), 866–873.Google Scholar
Edens, J. & Otto, R. (1997). Prevalence of mental disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. Focal Point, Spring, 1–8.Google Scholar
Esposito, C. & Clum, G. (2002). Social support and problem-solving as moderators of the relationship between childhood abuse and suicidality: applications to a delinquent population. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 15(2), 137–146.Google Scholar
Evans, W., Albers, E., Macari, D. & Mason, A. (1996). Suicide ideation, attempts space and abuse among incarcerated gang and non gang delinquents. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 13, 115–126.Google Scholar
Farand, L., Chagnon, F., Renaud, J. & Rivard, M. (2004). Completed suicides among Quebec adolescents involved with juvenile justice and child welfare services. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 34(1), 24–35.Google Scholar
Gallagher, C. A. & Dobrin, A. (2005). The association between suicide screening practices and attempts requiring emergency care in juvenile justice facilities. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 44(5), 485–493.Google Scholar
Goldstrom, I., Jaiquan, F., Henderson, M., Male, A. & Manderscheid, R. (2001). The availability of mental health services to young people in juvenile justice facilities: a national survey. In Mental Health, United States, 2000. Washington, DC: Substance.
Gray, D., Achilles, J., Keller, T.et al. (2002). Utah Youth Suicide Study, Phase I: Government agency contact before death. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 41, 427–434.Google Scholar
Hahn, R. A., Bilukha, O., Lowy, J.et al. (2005). Task force on community preventive services. The effectiveness of therapeutic foster care for the prevention of violence: a systematic review. American Journal of Preventative Medicine, 28(1), 72–90.Google Scholar
Hayes, L. (1989). National Study of Jail Suicides: seven years later. Psychiatric Quarterly, 60(1), 7–29.Google Scholar
Hayes, L. (1995). Prison suicide: an overview and a guide to prevention. The Prison Journal, 75(4), 431–455.Google Scholar
Hayes, L. (1999). Suicide Prevention in Juvenile Correction and Detention Facilities: A Resource Guide. South Easton, MA: Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators.
Hayes, L. (2004). Juvenile suicide in confinement: a national survey. NCIA.
Henggeler, S. W., Melton, G. B., Smith, L. A., Schoenwald, S. K. & Hanley, J. (1993). Family preservation using multisystemic therapy: long-term follow-up to a clinical trial with serious juvenile offenders. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 2, 283–293.Google Scholar
Kempton, T. & Forehand, R. (1992). Suicide attempts among juvenile delinquents: the contribution of mental health factors. Behavior Research and Therapy, 30(5), 537–541.Google Scholar
Klein, N. C., Alexander, J. F. & Parsons, B. V. (1977). Impact of family systems intervention on recidivism and sibling delinquency: a model of primary prevention and program evaluation. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 45(3), 469–474.Google Scholar
Kochanek, K. D., Murphy, S. L., Anderson, R. N. & Scott, C. (2002). Deaths: final data for 2002. National Vital Statistics Report, 53(5), 1–115.Google Scholar
Liebling, A. (1993). Suicides in young prisoners: a summary. Death Studies, 17, 381–409.Google Scholar
Mace, D., Rohde, P. & Gnau, V. (1997). Psychological patterns of depression and suicidal behavior of adolescents in a juvenile detention facility. Journal for Juvenile Justice and Detention Services, 12(1), 18–23.Google Scholar
Messier, L. P. & Ward, T. J. (1998). The coincidence of depression and high ability in delinquent youth. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 7, 97–105.Google Scholar
Morris, R., Harrison, E., Knox, G.et al. (1995). Health risk behavioral survey from 39 juvenile correctional facilities in the United States. Journal of Adolescent Health, 17(6), 334–344.Google Scholar
National Center for Health Prevention and Injury Control (2001). Suicide fact sheet, 2001. (www.cdc.gov/ncipc/factsheets/suifacts.htm)
National Commission on Correctional Health Care (1995). Standards for Health Services in Juvenile Detention and Confinement Facilities. Chicago, IL: Author.
National Commission on Correctional Health Care (1999). Standards for Health Services in Juvenile Detention and Confinement Facilities. Chicago, IL: Author.
Otto, R., Greenstein, J., Johnson, M. & Friedman, R. (1992). Prevalence of mental disorders among youth in the juvenile justice system. In Responding to the Mental Health Needs of Youth in the Juvenile Justice System. Seattle, WA: National Coalition for the Mentally Ill in the Criminal Justice System, pp. 7–48.
Parent, D., Leiter, V., Kennedy, S.et al. (1994). Conditions of Confinement: Juvenile Detention and Corrections Facilities. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, US Department of Justice.
Penn, J. V., Esposito, C. L., Schaeffer, L. E., Fritz, G. K. & Spirito, A. (2003). Suicide attempts and self-mutilative behavior in a juvenile correctional facility. Journal of the American Academy for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(7), 762–769.Google Scholar
Robertson, A. & Husain, J. (2001). Prevalence of Mental illness and Substance Abuse Disorders Among Incarcerated Juvenile Offenders. Jackson, MS: Mississippi Department of Public Safety and Mississippi Department of Mental Health.
Rohde, P., Seeley, J. & Mace, D. (1997). Correlates of suicidal behavior in a juvenile detention population. Suicide and Life-Threatening Behavior, 27(2), 164–175.Google Scholar
Ruchkin, V. V., Schwab-Stone, M., Koposov, R. A., Vermeiren, R. & King, R. A. (2003). Suicidal ideations and attempts in juvenile delinquents. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, and Allied Disciplines, 44(7), 1058–1066.Google Scholar
Sanislow, C., Grilo, C., Fehon, D., Axelrod, S. & McGlashan, T. (2003). Correlates of suicide risk in juvenile detainees and adolescent in-patients. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 42(2), 234–240.Google Scholar
Shelton, D. (2000). Health status of young offenders and their families. Journal of Nursing Scholarship, 32(2), 173–178.Google Scholar
Steiner, H., Garcia, I. & Matthews, Z. (1997). Posttraumatic stress disorder in incarcerated juvenile delinquents. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36(3), 357–365.Google Scholar
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (2001). Summary of Findings from the 2000 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. NHSDA Series: H-13, DHHS Publication No. SMA 01-3549. Rockville, MD: Author.
Teplin, L., Abram, K., McClelland, G., Dulcan, M. & Mericle, A. (2002). Psychiatric disorders in youth in juvenile detention. Archives in General Psychiatry, 59, 1133–1143.Google Scholar
Toumbourou, J. W. & Gregg, M. E. (2002). Impact of an empowerment-based parent education program on the reduction of youth suicide risk factors. Journal of Adolescent Health, 31(3), 277–285.Google Scholar
Underwood, L. & Berenson, D. (2001). Mental Health Programming in Youth Correction and Detention Facilities: A Resource Guide. South Easton, MA: Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators.
US Department of Health and Human Services (1999). The Surgeon General's Call To Action To Prevent Suicide. Washington, DC: Author.
White, T. & Schimmel, D. (1995). Suicide prevention in federal prisons: a successful five-step program. In Hayes, L., ed., Prison Suicide: An Overview and Guide to Prevention. Washington, DC: National Institute of Corrections, US Department of Justice, pp. 46–57.
Woolf, A. & Funk, S. (1985). Epidemiology of trauma in a population of incarcerated youth. Pediatrics, 75(3), 463–468.Google Scholar
Woolfenden, S. R., Williams, K. & Peat, J. (2002). Family and parenting interventions for conduct disorder and delinquency in children and adolescents aged 10–17. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 86(4), 251–256.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Suicide and delinquent adolescents
    • By Amer Smajkic, Rush University Medical Center Marshall Field IV Building 1720 West Polk Street Chicago, IL 60612 USA, David C. Clark, Rush University Medical Center Armour Academic Center 600 Paulina Suite 529 Chicago, IL 60612 USA
  • Edited by Carol L. Kessler, Columbia University, New York, Louis James Kraus, Rush University, Chicago
  • Book: The Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders
  • Online publication: 11 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543913.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Suicide and delinquent adolescents
    • By Amer Smajkic, Rush University Medical Center Marshall Field IV Building 1720 West Polk Street Chicago, IL 60612 USA, David C. Clark, Rush University Medical Center Armour Academic Center 600 Paulina Suite 529 Chicago, IL 60612 USA
  • Edited by Carol L. Kessler, Columbia University, New York, Louis James Kraus, Rush University, Chicago
  • Book: The Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders
  • Online publication: 11 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543913.009
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Suicide and delinquent adolescents
    • By Amer Smajkic, Rush University Medical Center Marshall Field IV Building 1720 West Polk Street Chicago, IL 60612 USA, David C. Clark, Rush University Medical Center Armour Academic Center 600 Paulina Suite 529 Chicago, IL 60612 USA
  • Edited by Carol L. Kessler, Columbia University, New York, Louis James Kraus, Rush University, Chicago
  • Book: The Mental Health Needs of Young Offenders
  • Online publication: 11 August 2009
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511543913.009
Available formats
×