Childhood Abuse, Household Dysfunction, and the Risk of Attempted Suicide Throughout the Life Span: Findings From the Adverse Childhood Experiences Study

Examines the relationship between the risk of suicide attempts & adverse childhood experiences & the number of such experiences. The lifetime prevalence of having at least 1 suicide attempt was 3.8%. Adverse childhood experiences in any category increased the risk of attempted suicide 2 to 5-fold. Alcoholism, depressed affect, & illicit drug use, which are strongly associated with such experiences, appear to partially mediate this relationship. Prevention of these experiences & treatment of affected persons may lead to progress in suicide prevention. (71 refs.)