Longitudinal trajectories of suicidal ideation among child welfare‐involved 7‐ to 12‐year‐old children

Background Young children involved in the child welfare system (CWS) are at high risk for suicidal ideation (SI) at a time when overall rates of suicide death in this age group are rising. Yet risk factors for and changes in SI over time are poorly understood in this population. Method We combined data from two large representative longitudinal studies of children involved in the United States CWS. We examined patterns of SI among children who were between ages 7 and 12 years at the initial survey wave ( N = 2,186), assessed at three waves using a measure of SI in the past 2 weeks. We conducted a multinomial regression to understand the baseline demographic, child maltreatment, and mental health characteristics that distinguish the trajectories. Results There were eight different subgroups (Non‐Ideators, Late Ideators, Boomerang Ideators, Delayed Ideators, Desisters, Boomerang Non‐Ideators, Late Desisters, and Persisters). Differences in race, type of maltreatment, sex, and mental health symptoms were identified when comparing Persisters (SI at all three waves) to other groups. Conclusions These findings can help researchers and practitioners to develop strategies for better identifying CWS‐involved children who are in greatest need of suicide risk monitoring and intervention.