title: Do Childhood Adversities Predict Suicidality? Findings from the General Population of the Metropolitan Area of São Paulo, Brazil.
abstract: Childhood adversities have been associated with a number of medical and psychiatric outcomes. However, the reported effects that specific childhood adversities have on suicidality vary across studies.
  
  
  
  This was a cross-sectional, stratified, multistage area probability investigation of a general population in Brazil, designated the São Paulo Megacity Mental Health Survey. The World Mental Health Composite International Diagnostic Interview was applied in 5037 individuals ≥ 18 years of age, in order to assess 12 different adversities occurring during childhood and/or adolescence, as well as to look for associations between those adversities and subsequent suicidality in different age strata.
  
  
  
  Over half of the respondents reported at least one childhood adversity. Only physical abuse was consistently associated with suicide attempts in all subsequent life stages (OR = 2.1). Among adults 20-29 years of age, the likelihood of a suicide attempt was correlated with parental divorce, whereas suicidal ideation was associated with prior sexual abuse. Among adults over 30 years of age, physical illness and economic adversity emerged as relevant childhood adversities associated with suicide attempts, whereas sexual abuse, family violence, and economic adversity were associated with suicidal ideation.
  
  
  
  Childhood adversities, especially physical abuse, are likely associated with unfavorable consequences in subsequent years. For suicidality across a lifespan, the role of different childhood adversities must be examined independently.
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatric Epidemiology - LIM-23, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Bruno Mendonça
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-2513-6153
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Coêlho
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatric Epidemiology - LIM-23, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Laura Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Andrade
authors.affiliation: División de Investigaciones Epidemiológicas y Sociales, Instituto Mexicano de Psiquiatría (IMP), México, D.F., Mexico.
authors.forename: Guilherme
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatric Epidemiology - LIM-23, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Geilson Lima
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Santana
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Medicine Post-Graduate Program in Public Health, Health Sciences Center, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitória, ES, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Viana
authors.affiliation: Section of Psychiatric Epidemiology - LIM-23, Department and Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Yuan-Pang
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002649:Child Abuse; D002947:Cities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008016:Life Change Events; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013405:Suicide / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D055815:Young Adult