The Relationship Among Childhood Sexual Abuse, Parental Alcoholism, Family Environment and Suicidal Behavior in Female College Students

This study investigated the relationship among childhood sexual abuse & parental alcoholism, retrospective reports of family functioning, & having had a history of either suicidal ideation or suicide attempts. Subjects were drawn from a sample of undergraduate college women. Results demonstrated that the experiences of childhood sexual abuse & parental alcoholism independently predicted higher levels of suicidality. In addition, subjects’ reports of past family conflict were associated with higher levels of suicidality, whereas reports that families were cohesive, fostered expressiveness & independence, engaged in intellectual-cultural recreational opportunities, & emphasized moral-religious values were associated with decreased risk. (30 refs.)