Psychopathology and management of hospitalized suicidal Ethiopian adolescents in Israel.

Between the years 1984 and 1989, 15 suicidal Ethiopian adolescents were hospitalized in the Adolescent Unit at the Geha Psychiatric Hospital. They were part of a large Jewish Ethiopian immigration to Israel, many of them children and adolescents who came on their own, having left their families behind. Despite difficulties, most of the Ethiopian adolescent immigrants have integrated into Israeli society; however, some have developed psychiatric problems requiring treatment. We describe the psychopathology and management of a group of immigrant Ethiopian adolescents hospitalized for suicidal behavior.