childhood depression and suicide

[SophieJacob]

Hi I  am a psychology student taking a break from studies at the moment recently I was told of a five year old child who tried to commit suicide with a knife now that child has been diagnosed with depression I am aware of children verbally expressing a desire to commit suicide for different reasons but I cant understand how or why a five year old would actually do it and with a knife...is it depression only or is there something else.....?

[mammo]

From The Surgeon General, please note that suicides in children ages 5-24 years has nearly tripled since 1960.
I think the last part of this will help explain why and how children commit suicide.  It's a sad fact that it even happens.

As many as one in every 33 children and one in eight adolescents may have depression. (U.S. Center for Mental Health Services [CMHS], 1996)
Once a young person has experienced a major depression, he or she is at risk of developing another depression within the next five years. (CMHS, 1996)
Two-thirds of children with mental health problems do not get the help they need. (CMHS, 1996)
A recent study led by Dr. Graham Emslie of the University of Texas, Southwestern Medical Center, concludes that treatment of major depression is as effective for children as it is for adults. (American Medical Association, Archives of General Psychiatry, November 15, 1997)
Suicide is the third leading cause of death for 15 to 24 year olds (approximately 5,000 young people) and the sixth leading cause of death for five to 15 year olds. The rate of suicide for five to 24 year olds has nearly tripled since 1960. (American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry [AACAP], 1995.)
Reviewed by David G. Fassler, M.D., child and adolescent psychiatrist, Otter Creek Associates, Burlington, VT and author (with Lynn Dumas) of Help Me, I'm Sad.

Warning Signs for Childhood Suicide
by D.H. Granello|P.F. Granello
Source: Pearson Allyn Bacon Prentice Hall
Topics: Middle Years (5-9), Suicide Prevention, more...
Because childhood suicide tends to be a very impulsive act, it is often difficult to predict when children move from being generally at risk to being imminently in danger. One general warning sign is poor school performance that is not linked to intelligence. Other general warning signs include anxiety (including refusing to attend school), sleep disturbances, aggression, impulsivity, and low tolerance for frustration. Suicidal behaviors in this age group can be triggered by small incidents, which might seem trivial by adult standards. In a child with suicidal tendencies and poor coping skills, a small event, such as being yelled at by a teacher or teased by other children, can trigger a suicide attempt.

Because suicidal behaviors are so linked to impulsivity, prevention methods must include a more proactive approach to teaching social skills and problem-solving skills. It is extremely difficult to intervene at the time of imminent suicidal risk as it appears that most children who commit suicide do so because of opportunity (e.g., they find a gun, they jump from a window or in front of a car) rather than through planning. Therefore, intervention must be focused on children who are at risk in general, either through emotional, cognitive, or environmental risk factors.
Excerpted From:

[Hensley258]

Answering that question would be a difficult one even for the best child Psychologist.

My immidiate question would be: Is this child acting out what he or she has seen a family member do or mimic?

If not then I would have to say this would be VERY rare at such a young age. I can't put myself in that boys brain so I just can't imagine what the motivation was.