Additive impact of childhood emotional, physical, and sexual abuse on suicide attempts among low-income African American women.
This study examines the association between exposures to multiple forms of childhood abuse (emotional, physical, sexual) and adult suicidal behavior in a sample of low-income, African American women. We hypothesized a linear relation between childhood abuse and risk for making a suicide attempt, such that the more forms of childhood abuse to which a woman was exposed, the greater her risk would be to make a suicide attempt. Logistic regression analyses revealed that, compared to women who did not report any experiences of childhood abuse, women who experienced one, two, or three forms of abuse were 1.83, 2.29, or 7.75 times more likely to attempt suicide, respectively (all statistically significant). Furthermore, compared to women who reported one or two types of abuse, women who reported all three types of abuse were statistically more likely to attempt suicide. These findings have implications for clinicians working with African American women who report either childhood abuse or exhibit suicidal behavior.
Anderson
Page L
PL
Georgia State University, USA.
Tiro
Jasmin A
JA
Price
Ann Webb
AW
Bender
Marnette A
MA
Kaslow
Nadine J
NJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D005845:Georgia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008875:Middle Aged; D011203:Poverty / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data