Suicide ideation, depressive symptoms, and out-of-home placement among youth in the U.S. child welfare system

Abstract

The objectives of this study were to describe the association between type of placement, depressive symptoms, and suicide ideation among a sample of youth (7 years and older) as they entered the child welfare system and to examine the longitudinal effect of prior out-of-home placements and prior depressive symptoms on subsequent suicide ideation among these at-risk youth. Results supported a statistically significant association between prior depressive symptoms and subsequent suicide ideation, after adjusting for prior suicide ideation and prior out-of-home placements. Tests of mediation supported the role of prior depressive symptoms as a mediator between prior out-of-home placements and subsequent suicide ideation. These results suggest that youth who enter the child welfare system and are put in an out-of home placement may be at an increased risk for depressive symptoms, which in turn may increase their risk for suicide ideation.