Hopelessness, depression, and suicidal intent among psychiatrically disturbed inpatient children.

Abstract

The present investigation evaluated hopelessness, depression, and suicidal intent among children (8 to 13 years old) hospitalized on a psychiatric intensive care service. A hopelessness scale, modeled after the adult version, was developed and administered to 66 children along with measures of depression (Children's Depression Inventory, Bellevue Index of Depression, Depression Symptom Checklist) and self-esteem (Self-Esteem Inventory). As predicted, children who scored high on the hopelessness scale showed significantly more severe depression and lower self-esteem than children who scored low on the scale. Children who evinced suicidal attempt or ideation, independently assessed at intake diagnosis, showed greater hopelessness than children who did not evince intent. Suicidal intent was more consistently correlated with hopelessness than with depression, a finding parallel to results obtained with adults. Overall, the present findings suggest that negative expectations toward oneself and the future can be assessed in children and are related both to depression and suicidal intent.

Cites (22)

1. Research Diagnostic Criteria: Rationale and Reliability
   Spitzer, Robert L. · 1978 · Archives of General Psychiatry
2. The measurement of pessimism: the hopelessness scale
   Beck, Aaron T., Weissman, Arlene, Lester, David, Trexler, Larry · 1974 · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
3. The antecedents of self-esteem
   Stanley Coopersmith · 1965 · Medical Entomology and Zoology
4. Depression: Causes and treatment
   1973 · Behavior Therapy
5. Rating scales to assess depression in school-aged children.
   Mária Kovács · 1981 · PubMed
6. The psychology of hope
   Ezra Stotland · 1969 · Medical Entomology and Zoology
7. Hopelessness, Depression, and Attempted Suicide
   MINKOFF, KENNETH, BERGMAN, ERIC, BECK, AARON T., BECK, ROY · 1973 · American Journal of Psychiatry
8. Depression in children referred to an educational diagnostic center: Diagnosis and treatment
   Weinberg, Warren A., Rutman, Joel, Sullivan, Leo, Penick, Elizabeth C., Dietz, Susan G. · 1973 · The Journal of Pediatrics
9. Assessment of Childhood Depression: Correspondence of Child and Parent Ratings
   KAZDIN, ALAN E., FRENCH, NANCY H., UNIS, ALAN S., ESVELDT-DAWSON, KAREN · 1983 · Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry
10. DEPRESSION IN CHILDHOOD
    Rie, Herbert E. · 1966 · Journal of the American Academy of Child Psychiatry

Show all 22 references

Cited by (43)

1. Hopelessness depression: A theory-based subtype of depression.
   Abramson, Lyn Y., Metalsky, Gerald I., Alloy, Lauren B. · 1989 · Psychological Review
2. Childhood and adolescent depression: a review of the past 10 years, Part I
   BIRMAHER, BORIS, RYAN, NEAL D., WILLIAMSON, DOUGLAS E., BRENT, DAVID A., KAUFMAN, JOAN, DAHL, RONALD E., PEREL, JAMES, NELSON, BEVERLY · 1996 · Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
3. Therapy for youths with anxiety disorders: A second randomized clincal trial.
   Kendall, Philip C., Flannery-Schroeder, Ellen, Panichelli-Mindel, Susan M., Southam-Gerow, Michael, Henin, Aude, Warman, Melissa · 1997 · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
4. The effectiveness of SPARX, a computerised self help intervention for adolescents seeking help for depression: Randomised controlled non-inferiority trial
   Merry, S. N., Stasiak, K., Shepherd, M., Frampton, C., Fleming, T., Lucassen, M. F. G. · 2012 · BMJ
5. Factors associated with suicidal phenomena in adolescents: a systematic review of population-based studies
   Evans, Emma, Hawton, Keith, Rodham, Karen · 2004 · Clinical Psychology Review

See all 533