Reactive Aggression and Suicidal Behaviors in Children Receiving Outpatient Psychological Services: The Moderating Role of Hyperactivity and Inattention.

Reactive Aggression and Suicidal Behaviors in Children Receiving Outpatient Psychological Services: The Moderating Role of Hyperactivity and Inattention. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2019 Jun 20;: Authors: Abel MR, Poquiz JL, Fite PJ, Doyle RL Abstract The current study examines associations between reactive and proactive aggression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors among youth (N = 115, 62% male), ranging from 6 to 12 years, seeking services in an outpatient psychological clinic. Symptoms of hyperactivity/impulsivity and inattention were evaluated as potential moderators of this link. Children and a caregiver completed self- and parent-report questionnaires on aggression, suicidal behaviors, depressive symptoms, and ADHD-related behaviors during intake. Reactive aggression was more strongly linked to suicidal thoughts and behaviors than proactive aggression. Further, hyperactivity/impulsivity, but not inattention, moderated the association between reactive aggression and suicidal thoughts and behaviors, such that reactive aggression was only associated with suicidal behaviors at high levels of hyperactivity/impulsivity. These findings were evident for reactive, not proactive, aggression and when accounting for the variance associated with depressive symptoms, age, and gender. Hyperactivity/impulsivity is discussed as a potentially important target among reactively aggressive youth for prevention of suicidal behaviors. PMID...
Source: Child Psychiatry and Human Development - Category: Child Development Authors: Tags: Child Psychiatry Hum Dev Source Type: research