Beyond Depression: Correlates of Suicidal Behavior in Abused Children

The current study aimed to examine the role that a history of abuse plays in the association with suicide attempts in children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. Children and adolescents were recruited from a local community mental health center specializing in the treatment of child trauma. Abuse history, history of suicide attempts, various demographics, and psychosocial measures were gathered from children and adolescents as well as their mothers. Hierarchical logistic regression analyses revealed the overall model, as well as individual predictors of age, child depression, physical and sexual abuse to be significant in the association with a history of suicide attempts. The current study revealed significant risk factors for suicide attempts in children and adolescents who have been maltreated, including age, depressive symptoms, history of sexual abuse, and history of physical abuse. Future research should further delineate the magnitude of these risk factors in order to inform and strengthen the process of risk assessment and subsequent treatment of these individuals for mental health clinicians.