Learning disabilities, suicidal ideation and suicide attempts of children and adolescents in an urban psychiatric hospital

The purpose of this study was to compare an urban inpatient school-age population who were found eligible to receive services under the eligibility category of "Learning Disability" with peers not receiving services for a learning disability in relation to suicidal ideation or attempt. The study consisted of 139 subjects, ages 6 to 19 years, who were discharged from a 120 bed urban psychiatric facility between September 1, 2002 and September 30, 2002. Intake data regarding suicidal ideation or attempt of subjects with a learning disability was compared to non-LD subjects. Z test proportion results indicated the proportion of LD patient admissions was reliably higher than the population proportion (z = 6.24, p ≤ .001). A second z test for proportions indicated suicide attempts by LD children and adolescent patients in the sample were not reliably higher than the proportion in the general population who successfully commit suicide (z < 1, ns). Results of chi-square analysis of the hypothesis that suicide attempts and suicidal ideation were more common among the LD children was not significant (X2 = 1.47). Although adolescents (39.8%) either attempted suicide or expressed suicidal ideation more than children (30.4), the chi-square analysis indicated that this difference was not reliable (X2 = 1.16 ns). Even though a greater percentage of hospitalized females (12.7%) than hospitalized males (8.3%) attempted suicide, the chi-square analysis indicated that the difference was not reliable (X2 = 4.39, df = 1, p < .05). The final chi-square test indicated that the difference in the relative proportions of males (60%) and females (40%) was reliable (X2 = 6.05, df = 1, p .01).;Data analysis indicated significantly more children with learning disabilities were found among the individuals in the sample than would be expected given their frequency in the school-age population, thus lending support to the hypothesis that learning disabilities place students at greater risk for depression and/or suicide. The statistical tests did not support the hypothesis that LD children were at greater risk for depression or suicide than peers. A larger sample should be obtained and these analyses replicated before coming to any final conclusions about the relation between learning disabilities, depression and suicidal ideation/attempts.