Childhood and antecedent separations were investigated in white and black suicide attempters and matched control nonsuicidal psychiatric patients. There were more white male and female suicide attempters with a history of childhood and antecedent separations than controls. Social class does not account for this finding.
The number of black male and female patients with early childhood separations was greater in the suicide attempt groups than in the control groups. The study showed no significant interaction between childhood and antecedent separation and suicide attempt in the white and black female and male patients.