EXAMINATION OF CHILDREN MORTALITY DUE TO

SUICIDE
by
NAME
 Part 1
• Studies overlook Suicide attempts in children aged 5-14; most are concerned with teenagers'
suicidal attempts or ideation. While teenager suicides are more, the number of deaths due to
suicides in young children is gradually increasing.
• suicide is the third leading cause of death in young children. Hg, a psychiatrist, observes a
substantive increase in the number of young children ( aged less than 14) suffering from clinical
depression; A mental health disorder characterized by persistently depressed mood or loss of
interest in activities, causing significant impairment in daily life.
• Several studies involving teenagers and adults have already established a linear relationship
between depression and suicide attempts. This trend cannot be generalized yet to younger
generations- suggesting the need for a study on the relationship between clinical depression and
suicide attempts in children less than 14 years. Further, the research will evaluate the leading
causes of clinical depression and their significance in explaining suicide attempts in children. 
Research questions
What is the nature of the relationship between clinical depression and
suicide in children?
 
Hypothesis
H0: there is no significant relationship between clinical depression and
suicide
H1: there is a significant relationship between clinical depression and suicide
The research relies on review of previous literature to define clinical
depression and the main factors leading to clinical depression. Additionally,
the research will rely on inputs from clinicians to get abstract information on
the extent of depression and suicidal attempts in children.
 Part 2

Research design 
The research design addresses the pressing question on the increasing mortality rates in young
children aged less than 14 by way of suicide. Previous research relates to clinical depression to
suicides, but the relationship cannot be substantiated for the younger generations. The designer of
this project also wishes to identify the significant leading causes of depression in children in
explaining suicide attempts. Several studies identify the loss of loved ones, unstable families,
education pressures, and health conditions as possible factors contributing to clinical depression in
children. This research will attempt to figure out how much these factors, when combined, predict
suicidal attempts. 
The research employs a mixed research design: qualitative and quantitative techniques. The
qualitative analysis provides a demographic summary of the distribution of clinical depression in
boys and girls and identifies any discernible trends or patterns in the data. 
In the quantitative analysis part, the research will use a correlation test to establish a significant
relationship between depression and suicide attempts in children. Then, we will use regression
analysis to develop a prediction model for suicide based on clinical depression. 
Dependent variable: suicide attempts 
Independent variable: clinical depression; subsets of clinical depression- loss of loved ones, unstable families,
education pressures, and health conditions.
Measurement of data 
Suicidal attempts 
The data collection for this research question is binary, where participants chose yes or no as the only responses. 
Research question 
Have you in the past attempted or had the thoughts to commit suicide [yes] [No]
 Clinical depression 
The research data collection is based on a Linkert scale, where research participants choose a value between 1 and 5
that best represent their understanding of research questions. 1- Represents low agreement levels, and 5 represents
high agreement levels to the research question. 
Research question 
• Are you sad/unhappy? [Strongly disagree] [Disagree][Somehow] [Agree][Strongly disagree]
• Do you agree education is stressful and causes you to be unhappy [Strongly disagree] [Disagree] [Somehow]
[Agree] [Strongly disagree]
• Are your parents living together? [yes] [No]
• Do you have a health condition? [yes] [No]
• Have you lost a loved one (sibling or parent)? [yes] [No]
 
Collection of data. 
The study uses a stratified random sampling technique in the collection
of data. Stratified random sampling is best suited for our research since
it allows for collecting random data that is representative of the entire
population; thus, helping remove biases in data collection. The study is
limited to children aged less than 14. 
Limitation of the study 
Some of the research questions were sensitive for participants to answer,
and getting records from relevant stakeholders (counseling departments)
was challenging. 
 Part 3
Descriptive statistics
The study uses Mean, standard deviation and skewness to explain data demographics. Mean
and standard deviation provide a measure of central tendency- they show how the data is
distributed around the mean. While skewness show asymmetrical distribution of data- as a
rule of thumb normal distributions have a skew of less than 0.5.
Table 1.1 descriptive statistics

Suicide Loss of Health Unstable Education

  attempt depression loved one condition family pressures

Mean 2.506494 1.454545 1.337662 1.194805 1.415584 1.363636

Standard
Deviation 1.483447 0.501195 0.476014 0.398648 0.496054 0.4842

Skewness 0.58292 0.186222 0.70026 1.571981 0.349424 0.578273

Suicide attempts (M=2.6, SD=1.5) is positively skewed- showing that majority of children
who had visited psychiatrist had suicidal thoughts or had at least attempted suicide.
Similarly all the others variables displayed the same positive skew, showing that majority of
the minors who had sought counseling help experienced or had traits related to depression.
 Part 4

Quantitative analysis
Testing the relationship between suicide attempts and incidences of clinical depression.
H0: there is no significant relationship between clinical depression and suicide
H1: there is a significant relationship between clinical depression and suicide
Correlations
      Suicidal
Attempts Depression
Spearman's rho Suicidal Attempts Correlation 1.000 .804
Coefficient
Sig. (2-tailed) . .041
     
Depression Correlation .804 1.000
Coefficient
Sig. (2-tailed) .041 .
     
spearman correlation test was used to analyse whether the relationship between suicide attempts and
depression was significant. The study established a significant linear relationship between the variables
(RS= 0.804, P=0.041).
 depression
6

0
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5

Figure 1.1 scatter plot

 
A scatter plots reveals a positive monotonic relationship between depression and
suicide ideation or attempt. An increase in depression levels tends to increase
chances for completion of suicide.
 Regression Modelling
SUMMARY OUTPUT
A multiple linear regression was calculated
Regression Statistics
to predict suicidal attempts based on loss Multiple R 0.59
of loved ones, unstable families, education R Square 0.54
Adjusted R Square 0.50
pressures, and health conditions (leading Standard Error 1.40
causes of depression). Observations 77
A significant linear equation was found (F
ANOVA
(4, 72) =3.15, p<0.05), with an R2 of .54 Significance
  df SS MS F F
Regression 4 24.95595 6.238987 3.156965 0.018956
Suicide attempt= 0.43+ 0.63(Loss of love Residual 72 142.2908 1.976261
one) + 1.43(Health condition) + Total 76 167.2468      
0.34(unstable families) + 0.17 (education
Coeff
pressures) icient Standard
Out of the four variables it was only   s Error t Stat P-value  
educational pressures that did not account Intercept 0.432 0.996 -0.434 0.036  
substantively to the variation in suicide Loss of love one 0.637 0.346 1.838 0.000  
Health condition 1.430 0.462 3.095 0.002  
attempts or ideation
Unstable family 0.339 0.360 -0.117 0.042  
Education pressures 0.174 0.374 0.847 0.399  
Conclusion
The study established a significant relation between depression and
suicide attempts in children aged less than 14. Regression model
revealed factors related to depression (loss of loved ones, Health
condition and family problems) to be significant predictors of suicide
attempts. However, education pressures was not a significant predictor.
Results of the study can provide line of action for preventing children
mortality and depressions when they experience loss or due to
emergence of a health condition.