Suicidal behavior among psychiatric inpatient children: an estimate of prevalence.

The prevalence of suicidal behavior among pre-adolescent child psychiatric inpatients has been estimated to range between 18 and 80 percent of the inpatient population. This study is a chart review of the documentation of suicidal behaviors displayed by 45 consecutive child psychiatric inpatient admissions. According to the Pfeffer Spectrum of Suicidal Behavior Scale, 31 percent of the sample had recently engaged in some form of suicidal behavior and 9 percent had made a life-threatening attempt.