Parental Sexual Abuse and Suicidal Behaviour among Women with Major Depressive Disorder

Abstract

Objective Women with major depressive disorder (MDD) and childhood sexual abuse histories have an increased risk for suicidal behaviours, but it is unclear whether specific abuse characteristics contribute to risk. We aimed to examine the contributions of abuse characteristics to lifetime history of suicide attempts and multiple suicide attempts, independent of posttraumatic stress disorder and borderline personality disorder. Method Women with MDD and sexual abuse histories (n = 106) were assessed regarding sexual abuse characteristics, psychiatric diagnoses, and suicide attempts. Results In multivariate logistic regressions, the odds of having multiple suicide attempts increased 12.27-fold when childhood sexual abuse was perpetrated by a parent figure or a parent, compared with a nonparent. Conclusions Parental perpetration of sexual abuse increases the likelihood of multiple suicide attempts among women outpatients. The relationship of the perpetrator to the abused woman is important in suicide risk evaluation and treatment planning.

History of sexual abuse and suicide attempts in alcohol-dependent patients

“…Moreover, we analyzed neither the characteristics of previous suicide attempts (such as severity, lethality, or quantity) nor details of sexual abuse (such as: severity and number of times over what duration, the nature of the relationship between the victim and the perpetrator). According to a recent study by Cankaya et al (Cankaya, Talbot, Ward & Duberstein, 2012), childhood sexual abuse perpetrated by a parent is associated with a significantly higher risk of suicide attempts compared with non-parental sexual abuse. However, these results were not confirmed in a recent study by Wherry et al (Wherry, Baldwin, Junco & Floyd, 2013), suggesting a need for further research.…”

Indicadores de risco para tentativa de suicídio por envenenamento: um estudo caso-controle

“…Entretanto, esses achados não foram confirmados em nossa pesquisa, uma vez que se pesquisou apenas se o paciente tinha uma religião. Na tabela 2, outra questão identificada foi o relato de ter sofrido maus-tratos na infância, que apareceu como um risco maior para tentar suicídio [39][40][41] . Com relação aos eventos estressores, foi incluída a presença de outros fatos traumáti-cos e história de abuso sexual na infância, ambas com diferença significativa entre os grupos e maior prevalência nos casos.…”

Changes in Treated Incidence of Borderline Personality Disorder in Denmark: 1970–2009

“…Finally, comorbidity in patients with BPD has been examined in several studies, [30][31][32][33][34][35] suggesting females with BPD more often suffer from internalizing disorders, whereas males with BPD more often tend to report externalizing disorders. Therefore, it could be hypothesized that the higher rates of BPD in females in the ICD-10 period from 1994 to 2009 were partially caused by comorbid BPD to a higher number of females treated for internalizing illnesses.…”