Psychosocial functioning in adolescents with non-suicidal self-injury: The roles of childhood maltreatment, borderline personality disorder and depression

Background There is a lack of studies examining psychosocial functioning in patients with non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI), especially in adolescents, and rates of impaired functioning in existing literature vary considerably. These variations may be attributable to further risk factors that influence psychosocial functioning. Thus, the aim of the study was to examine whether adolescent NSSI patients […]

Understanding the risk of suicide among perpetrators who view child sexual abuse material (CSAM)

Attempts to address the threat of harm posed by perpetrators of child sexual abuse (CSA) have rightly increased in recent years, with well-known efforts such as operation NOTARISE resulting in 750 arrests; however, the cost of such operations is also high. Operation NOTARISE resulted in 24 suicides; the estimated economic and social cost of which has been […]

The association between childhood trauma and lifetime suicide attempts among a sample of male prisoners: A pilot observational study

Background: Prisoners have higher rates of suicide attempts compared with general population. A history of childhood trauma (CT) is common among incarcerated subjects and it is a well-known risk factor for lifetime suicide attempts. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to investigate whether lifetime suicide attempts may be related to the exposition to CT among […]

My decade at Old Sun, my lifetime of hell

My Decade at Old Sun, My Lifetime of Hell is a simple and outspoken account of the sexual and psychological abuse that Arthur Bear Chief suffered during his time at Old Sun Residential school in Gleichen on the Siksika Nation. In a series of chronological vignettes, Bear Chief depicts the punishment, cruelty, abuse, and injustice […]

“I never saw a future”: Childhood trauma and suicidality among sexual minority women

While a significant health concern for sexual minority women, there is little qualitative research investigating their experiences of childhood trauma and suicidality. In this study, we used photovoice methods and an intersectionality framework. Drawing on qualitative interviews, we inductively derived three themes (a) Traumatized and discredited, (b) Cascading marginality, estrangement, and suicidality, (c) Reconstruction and reclaiming resilience. In Traumatized […]

The role of psychiatric symptoms and environmental vulnerability factors in explaining the relationship between child maltreatment and suicidality: A prospective investigation

Background Childhood maltreatment has been associated with suicide thoughts and attempts; however, few longitudinal studies have assessed risk of suicidality into adulthood. Fewer have examined potential mediators (psychiatric symptoms and environmental vulnerability factors). Methods Prospective cohort design. Children with documented cases of maltreatment (N = 495, ages 0–11) were matched with non-maltreated children (N = 395) and followed up […]

The role of psychopathology in the relationship between history of maltreatment and suicide attempts among children and adolescent inpatients

Background This retrospective chart review study investigates the relationship between the history of various forms of abuse and the presence of mood disorders and psychotic symptoms in predicting suicide attempts among psychiatrically hospitalized children and adolescents. Method A multi‐mediation analysis was conducted with an archival dataset of 101 children and adolescents hospitalized predominantly for mood […]

Childhood abuse and suicidal behaviors among Chinese migrant workers: The mediating role of alexithymia and social support

This study aims to investigate the lifetime prevalence of suicidal behaviors in a sample of Chinese migrant workers. It also examined the mediating role of alexithymia and social support in the link between childhood abuse and suicidal behaviors. A total of 1,563 migrant workers were surveyed by using cluster sampling. Results showed that the estimated […]

The association between child abuse and attempted suicide: A retrospective cohort study

Background: Child abuse and suicide among the young population is a serious and prevalent problem. Many studies have demonstrated that people with adverse childhood experiences, such as child abuse, are likely to develop suicidal behavior. This study evaluates the connection between child abuse and suicidal behavior in the Hong Kong community where incidents of child abuse […]

The relations between childhood maltreatment, shame, guilt, depression and suicidal ideation in inpatient adolescents

Background Previous studies demonstrated positive relations between various forms of maltreatment and suicidal ideation; however, mechanisms underlying these relationships are not well understood. We propose that the experience of maltreatment in childhood may lead to high levels of generalized guilt and shame, resulting in an increase of depressive symptoms and suicidal thoughts in adolescents. The […]

Relationship of childhood abuse and household dysfunction to many of the leading causes of deaths in adults

Background: The relationship of health risk behavior and disease in adulthood to the breadth of exposure to childhood emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, and household dysfunction during childhood has not previously been described. Methods: A questionnaire about adverse childhood experiences was mailed to 13,494 adults who had completed a standardized medical evaluation at a large […]

Interpersonal trauma and suicide attempts in low-income depressed mothers in home visiting

Background Risk of suicide is a major concern for depressed mothers in the perinatal period. The strongest predictor of completing suicide is having made a previous attempt. Little is known about the clinical features of low-income, depressed mothers who have attempted suicide in contrast to those who have not. Objective This study examined clinical and […]

Mother-daughter interpersonal processes underlying the association between child maltreatment and adolescent suicide ideation

Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate whether mother‐daughter relationship quality and mother‐daughter conflict represent mechanisms underlying the association between child maltreatment and adolescent passive or active suicide ideation. Method The sample included 164 socioeconomically disadvantaged depressed adolescent girls and their mothers (adolescents: mean age = 14.00 years; 66.3% African‐American, 21.3% white, 14.0% Latina). […]

Childhood abuse, interpersonal strength, and suicide resilience in African American females who attempted suicide

There is a significant association between childhood abuse and suicidal behavior in low-income African American women with a recent suicide attempt. Increasingly, empirical focus is shifting toward including suicide resilience, which mitigates against suicidal behavior. This cross-sectional study examines childhood abuse, intrapersonal strengths, and suicide resilience in 121 African American women, average age of 36.07 years […]

Trauma, child development, healing and resilience: A review of literature with focus on Indigenous peoples and communities

Historical trauma refers specifically to the inter-generational impact of colonization on Indigenous peoples. In the 1990s, the mental health issues suffered by Indigenous people in Canada were first conceptualized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Later researchers briefly began developing the concept of ‘residential school survivor syndrome,’ but then settled on the term historical trauma to […]

Correlates of suicidal ideation and self-harm in early childhood in a cohort at risk for child abuse and neglect

Objectives: This study provides prevalence and persistence rates of suicidal ideation and self-harm, and examines how child maltreatment types, mental health symptoms, and age 4 suicidal ideation and self-harm are associated with each suicidal outcome among 6-year-old children. Methods: Participants were 1,090 caregivers assessed when their children were 4 and 6 years old from the […]

Childhood maltreatment and adult suicidality: A comprehensive systematic review with meta-analysis

This comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis aims to quantify the association between different types of childhood maltreatment and suicidality. We searched five bibliographic databases, including Medline, PsychINFO, Embase, Web of Science and CINAHL, until January 2018. Random-effects meta-analysis was employed followed by univariable and multivariable meta-regressions. Heterogeneity was quantified using the I2 statistic and formal publication bias […]

Childhood abuse, the Interpersonal-Psychological Theory of Suicide, and the mediating role of depression

Although childhood abuse is a well‐known risk factor for suicide, no studies have investigated the role of interpersonal–psychological (Joiner, 2005), constructs in this association. This study examined whether childhood physical, sexual, and emotional abuse were associated with IPTS constructs, and whether depressive symptoms mediated these associations. Ninety‐one participants completed self‐report measures. Emotional abuse predicted perceived […]

Child maltreatment and repeat presentations to the emergency department for suicide-related behaviors

Objectives To identify factors associated with repeat emergency department (ED) presentations for suicide-related behaviors (SRB) – hereafter referred to as repetition – among children/youth to aid secondary prevention initiatives. To compare rates of repetition in children/youth with substantiated maltreatment requiring removal from their parental home with their peers in the general population. Methods A population-based […]

Prevalence and characteristics of interpersonal violence in people dying from suicide in Victoria, Australia.

Victims of interpersonal violence are known to be at increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts; however, few data exist on the impact that violence has on the risk of death from suicide. This study examined 2153 suicides (1636 males and 517 females) occurring between 2009 and 2012. Information was sourced from the Coroners Court […]

Associations between suicidal behavior and childhood abuse and neglect: A meta-analysis.

Background Relationships of some types of childhood maltreatment and suicidal behavior remain controversial and inconclusive. Methods Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and Cochrane library were searched for eligible studies, and the results were synthesized in meta-analyses. Results childhood maltreatment was associated positively with suicidal behavior in the total population and maltreatment subgroups. Emotional abuse had the strongest […]

Risk and protective factors of child-to-parent violence: A comparison between physical and verbal aggression.

Child-to-parent violence (CPV) is a social problem that remains vastly understudied compared with other forms of family violence. The aim of this study is to identify family and child risk and protective factors of CPV, and to investigate whether they differentially predict physical and verbal parent-directed violence among boys and girls. Predictors include parenting behavior […]

Attachment, emotion regulation, childhood abuse and assault: Examining predictors of NSSI among adolescents.

In this study we examined the relative risk of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) associated with a history of physical and sexual abuse/assault, poor attachment relationships, and poor emotion regulation among adolescents. A total of 2,637 adolescents (aged 12–15 years) completed questionnaires at 3 time-points: baseline, 12, and 24 months later. Across the study, 9.4% reported a […]