Suicide Attempts, Gender, and Sexual Abuse: Data From the 2000 British Psychiatric Morbidity Survey

This survey used data from the 2000 British National Survey of Psychiatric Morbidity to test the hypothesis that suicide attempts in women are significantly associated with a history of sexual abuse. Sexual abuse was strongly associated with a history of suicide attempts as well as of suicidal intent & was more common in women. The population attributable risk fraction was considerably greater in female respondents than in male respondents, which is consistent with more prevalent exposure to sexual abuse among women. The effect of sexual abuse on attempts & intent was reduced by controlling for affective symptoms, suggesting that the effect of the former was likey to be mediated by affective changes. (31 refs.) JA