Suicidal phenomena and abuse in adolescents: a review of epidemiological studies.
OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review of the international literature to determine whether adolescents who had experienced abuse were more likely to also experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors than other adolescents, and to investigate the nature of this association.


METHODS
Reports of community- or school-based studies of adolescents on the association between the prevalence of suicidal phenomena and abuse were searched for via electronic databases, reviewing reference lists and contacting experts in the field.


RESULTS
Ten relevant studies were identified. Adolescents who had been physically or sexually abused were significantly more likely to experience suicidal thoughts and behaviors than other adolescents. This association appeared to be direct in most studies in which multivariate analyses were conducted. There is evidence that other factors (e.g., low self-esteem) may play a mediating role in the relationship between abuse and suicidal phenomena.


CONCLUSIONS
There is a clear link between abuse and suicidal phenomena occurring during childhood and adolescence.
Evans
Emma
E
Centre for Suicide Research, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Warneford Hospital, Oxford OX3 7JX, UK.
Hawton
Keith
K
Rodham
Karen
K
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002650:Child Abuse, Sexual / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*