Predicting suicide attempts in young adults with histories of childhood abuse.
BACKGROUND
Although childhood abuse is an important correlate of suicidality, not all individuals who were abused as children attempt suicide.


OBJECTIVE
To identify correlates and moderators of suicide attempts in adults reporting childhood physical abuse, contact sexual abuse, or both.


METHODS
A French-Canadian, school-based cohort (n=1684) was prospectively followed.


RESULTS
The identity of the abuser moderated the relationship of abuse frequency and suicide attempts, with individuals abused by their immediate family being at highest risk. Although paternal education exhibited negative associations (OR=0.71, 95% CI 0.58-0.88), several externalising phenotypes had positive associations with suicide attempts: disruptive disorders (OR=3.10, 95% CI 1.05-9.15), conduct problems (OR=1.09, 95% CI 1.01-1.19) and childhood aggression (OR=1.41, 95% CI 1.08-1.83).


CONCLUSIONS
Characteristics of the abuser and abusive acts may be important additional indicators of risk for suicide attempts. Future research needs to employ developmental approaches to examine the extent and mechanisms by which childhood abuse contributes to the shared variance of suicidality, maladaptive traits and psychopathology.
Brezo
Jelena
J
McGill Group for Suicide Studies, Douglas Hospital Research Center, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Paris
Joel
J
Vitaro
Frank
F
Hébert
Martine
M
Tremblay
Richard E
RE
Turecki
Gustavo
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002649:Child Abuse / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology; D012920:Social Behavior Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D013406:Suicide, Attempted / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013997:Time Factors