title: The Relationship between Childhood Trauma and Suicidal Ideation: Role of Maltreatment and Potential Mediators.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood trauma is recognized as an important risk factor in suicidal ideation, however it is not fully understood how the different types of childhood maltreatment influence suicidal ideation nor what variables mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and suicidal ideation. This study examined the path from childhood trauma to suicidal ideation, including potential mediators.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 211 healthy adults completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Beck scale for Suicidal Ideation (BSI), Functional Social Support Questionnaire (FSSQ) and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Path analysis was used to investigate the relationship among study variables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the several types of childhood maltreatment we considered, only childhood sexual abuse directly predicted suicidal ideation (β=0.215, p=0.001). Childhood physical abuse (β=0.049, 95% confidence interval: 0.011-0.109) and childhood emotional abuse (β=0.042, 95% confidence interval: 0.001-0.107) indirectly predicted suicidal ideation through their association with anxiety. Childhood neglect indirectly predicted suicidal ideation through association with perceived social support (β=0.085, 95% confidence interval: 0.041-0.154).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results confirmed that childhood sexual abuse is a strong predictor of suicidal ideation. Perceived social support mediated the relationship between suicidal ideation and neglect. Anxiety fully mediated the relationship between suicidal ideation and both physical abuse and emotional abuse. Interventions to reduce suicidal ideation among survivors of childhood trauma should focus on anxiety symptoms and attempt to increase their social support.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Emotion and Cognition Research Laboratory, Inje University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.; Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yong-Chun
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Bahk
authors.affiliation: Clinical Emotion and Cognition Research Laboratory, Inje University, Goyang, Republic of Korea.; Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seon-Kyeong
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kee-Hong
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Korea University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.; Department of Psychiatry, Inje University, Ilsan-Paik Hospital, Goyang, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Seung-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Lee
keywords: Anxiety; Childhood traumatic experience; Perceived social support; Sexual abuse; Suicidal ideation