Are there sensitive periods when child maltreatment substantially elevates suicide risk? Results from a nationally representative sample of adolescents.

Publisher: Wiley Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 9708816 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1520-6394 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 10914269 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Depress Anxiety Subsets: MEDLINE

Original Publication: New York, NY : Wiley, c1997-

Adolescent Behavior* ; Suicidal Ideation*; Child Abuse/*statistics & numerical data ; Suicide, Attempted/*statistics & numerical data; Adolescent ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Risk ; Time Factors

Background: Although child maltreatment is a well documented risk factor for suicidal behavior, little is known about whether the timing of child maltreatment differentially associates with risk of suicidal ideation, suicide plans, or suicide attempts. The goal of this study was to examine whether a first exposure to physical or sexual abuse during specific developmental periods significantly elevated risk for suicidal behavior in adolescents.
Methods: Data came from the National Comorbidity Survey Adolescent Supplement, a population-based sample of US adolescents aged 13-18 years old (n = 9,272). Using discrete time survival analysis, we assessed the association between timing of first abuse (early childhood: ages 0-5; middle childhood: ages 6-10; adolescence: ages 11-18) and suicidal ideation, plans, and attempts.
Results: Exposure to either physical or sexual abuse increased the odds of reporting suicidal ideation (odds ratio [OR] = 5.06 and OR = 3.56, respectively), plans (OR = 3.63 and OR = 3.58, respectively), and attempts (OR = 5.80 and OR = 4.21, respectively), even after controlling for sociodemographic covariates and psychiatric disorders. However, the timing of physical and sexual abuse exposure was unassociated with suicidal behavior (all p values >.05).
Conclusions: Exposure to child maltreatment is strongly associated with risk for adolescent suicidal behaviors, though this association did not vary based on the developmental timing of first exposure. These findings suggest that prevention efforts should be implemented throughout early development and target all children, regardless of when they were first exposed.
(© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

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K01 MH102403 United States MH NIMH NIH HHS; Canada CIHR

Keywords: abuse; epidemiology; maltreatment; self-harm; sensitive periods; trauma

Date Created: 20170526 Date Completed: 20180313 Latest Revision: 20181202

20221213

PMC6171345

10.1002/da.22650

28544045