[Suicide in children and the prevention].

There have been studied on suicide in children and adolescents in Western countries, literature review was carried out for the forth coming needs of protective intervention for suicidal children in Japan. Suicide is very rare in children with gradual increase towards adolescents. Suicide in children has association with family history, psychiatric disorders of both children and parents, especially depression and addictive disorders, cognitive and emotional disturbance in children, demographic characteristics, family discord, family psychopathology and child abuse, accessibility of lethal suicide methods. Identification of risk factors as foci for intervention is important for suicide prevention. Although there are some programs for prevention, their theoretical bases have been hardly presented and their efficacy are not acceptable. Future evaluative research is essential, and at moment, network of medical, educational and child welfare professionals is important to support children and family at risk where there is much to do with psychiatry to take role.