The findings suggested that parents significantly underestimated the seriousness of their child's major depression. Parents of suicide attemptors tended to underestimate the rates of other psychiatric disorders as well, including aggressive conduct disorder, oppositional disorder, and overanxious disorder. Parents did somewhat better in recognizing drug and alcohol abuse by their suicidal adolescents. However, they greatly underestimated the extent and frequency of alcohol abuse. Mood disorders such as depression are the most important factor predisposing to adolescent suicide, child and adolescent psychiatry research has shown.
Substance abuse is another key risk factor.
Other psychiatric disorders may be underestimated as well. Now you may join the NAMI E-News Alert Listing and have all of the latest mental health updates delivered to your email account.