The present investigation evaluated hopelessness, depression, and suicidal intent among children (8 to 13 years old) hospitalized on a psychiatric intensive care service. A hopelessness scale, modeled after the adult version, was developed and administered to 66 children along with measures of depression (Children's Depression Inventory, Bellevue Index of Depression, Depression Symptom Checklist) and self-esteem (Self-Esteem Inventory). As predicted, children who scored high on the hopelessness scale showed significantly more severe depression and lower self-esteem than children who scored low on the scale. Children who evinced suicidal attempt or ideation, independently assessed at intake diagnosis, showed greater hopelessness than children who did not evince intent. Suicidal intent was more consistently correlated with hopelessness than with depression, a finding parallel to results obtained with adults. Overall, the present findings suggest that negative expectations toward oneself and the future can be assessed in children and are related both to depression and suicidal intent.

who provided valuable comments and suggestions on an earlier draft.

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This investigation examined the agreement between children and their parents on measures of depression and aggression. A total of 120 inpatient children (ages 7-13) and their mothers and fathers independently completed self-report and interview measures that focused on the children's dysfunction. Children and their parents differed in their ratings of each symptom area, with children providing significantly less severe ratings than their parents. Children who met DSM III criteria for major depression or conduct disorder were significantly higher in their ratings of depression and aggression than children without these diagnoses, as reflected in both child and parent ratings. Child and parent ratings correlated in the low to moderate range on measures of children's symptoms, whereas mother and father ratings correlated in the moderate to high range. The correspondence between children and parents did not vary as a function of symptom area (depression and aggression) or assessment format (self-report and interviews). The results suggest that children are able to rate the severity of their dysfunction, although they tend to provide lower-bound estimates than do their parents.

No abstract