Predicting Suicide Attempts in Young Adults With Histories of Childhood Abuse

This study sought to identify correlates & moderators of suicide attempts in adults reporting childhood physical abuse, contact sexual abuse, or both. A French-Canadian school-based cohort of 1684 students was prospectively followed. The identity of the abuser moderated the relationship of abuse frequency & suicide attempts, with individuals abused by their immediate family being at highest risk. Although paternal education exhibited negative associations, several externalising phenotypes had positive associations with suicide attempts: disruptive disorders, conduct problems, & childhood aggression. (32 refs.)