Childhood Sexual Abuse and Military Sexual Trauma Interact to Increase Suicide Risk: Results from a Nationally Representative Veteran Sample

Abstract

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) and military sexual trauma (MST) are prevalent among veterans. Such exposures are associated with adverse mental-health sequelae, including elevated risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. Nonetheless, prior studies have largely focused upon discrete experiences of CSA or MST in circumscribed samples. In the current study, we analyzed data from a large, nationally representative sample of 4,069 US military veterans to examine main and interactive effects of CSA and MST in relation to suicidal thoughts and behaviors. After accounting for sociodemographics, psychiatric comorbidity, and trauma-related characteristics, we detected a significant interaction between MST and CSA as it related to report of past-year suicidal ideation, lifetime suicide attempt, and risk for future suicide attempt. These findings underscore the impact of sexual trauma throughout the lifespan, highlighting the continued importance of screening for trauma exposure and connecting veterans to appropriate, evidence-based treatment to decrease their risk for suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

Pilot Study of SATELLITE Education on Nurses’ Knowledge and Confidence toward Assessing and Caring for Female Victims of Sexual Violence

“…Female victims of SV commonly report at least one symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder [ 6 , 9 ]. Furthermore, experiencing child sexual abuse has been linked to various adverse psychosocial outcomes in adulthood, including substance misuse, decreased life satisfaction, and increased risk of suicidal behaviors [ 10 , 11 , 12 ].…”

A Pilot Study of SATELLITE Education on Nurses’ Knowledge and Confidence toward Assessing and Caring for Female Victims of Sexual Violence

“…MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions, or products referred to in the content. 2 psychosocial outcomes in adulthood, including substance misuse, decreased life satisfaction, and increased risk of suicidal behaviors (Hailes et al, 2019;Holliday et al, 2023;Strizzi et al, 2022;).…”

Negative posttraumatic cognitions about self potentially mediate the relation between sexual revictimization and suicide risk in a sample of military sexual assault survivors.

“…Thus, the inclusion of those reporting harassment-only MST may alter the strength of these associations, perhaps accounting for the null results observed in two of the three studies. The significant results documented by Holliday et al (2023) might be attributed to their nationally representative sample, as both Baca et al (2023) and Blais et al (2022) used convenience samples with a smaller size. The current study addressed these possibilities by assessing revictimization in only those who report MST that involved assault or attempted assault.…”

“…Blais et al (2022) and Baca et al (2023) reported that there was no significant difference between MST and revictimization (i.e., a history of both MST and premilitary victimization) on suicidal risk. However, Holliday et al (2023) demonstrated that among MST survivors, those who experienced childhood sexual abuse reported higher suicide risk. All three studies mentioned above included harassment-only exposures, which are associated with a lower risk for psychological distress and suicide risk (Blais & Geiser, 2019; Millegan et al, 2015; Street et al, 2008).…”