Traumatic events and suicidality in a German adolescent community sample

Abstract

Exposure to traumatic events has been related to suicide attempts and suicidal ideation in adolescents. This study analyzes the association between suicidality and preceding traumatic life events in 665 German school students with an average age of 14.81 (SD = 0.66). Forty-three (6.5%) students reported suicide attempts and 239 (35.9%) reported suicidal ideation. Adolescents with a history of suicide attempts reported sexual abuse 6 months before their suicidal behavior significantly more often than students with only suicidal ideation. Sexual victimization seems to be especially linked to a risk for suicide attempts during adolescence. Screening for students at risk for developing suicidality should include assessment of traumatic events.

Adolescent suicide in Australia: Rates, risk and resilience

“…Some of the most well documented include stressful life events/trauma (CAH, 2010;Gould et al, 2003;Plener, 2011;Singer & Goldbeck, 2011) social withdrawal/isolation, school disengagement, obesity, physical illness or injury (Christiansen & Stenager, 2009; victimisation by adult predators (including both that initiated directly and online), victimisation through both face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying by peers (Bhat, 2008 (Halasz et al, 2002), obsessive compulsive disorder (D'Alessandro, 2009), depression and perinatal mental illnesses, posttraumatic stress disorder, conduct disorder, opposition-defiant disorder, anxiety and eating disorders (Belfer, 2007;Costello, Foley & Angold, 2006;Esposito & Clum, 2002;Main, 2008;Phillips, 2010); serious learning difficulties (including dyslexia) leading to ailing academic performance (compared to above average) have been associated with a five-fold increased likelihood of a suicide attempt (Richardson et al, 2005). A history of self-harm (Owens, Horrocks & House, 2002), sleep and or appetite disturbance, changes in behaviour or performance such as truancy, negative conduct, a decline in academic or other areas of achievement (e.g.…”

Suicidal Ideation, Resilience, and Healthcare Implications for Newly Diagnosed HIV-Positive Men Who Have Sex with Men in China: A Qualitative Study

“…Among PLWH, studies have explored factors associated with suicidality. Individual risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior include: stressful life events/trauma (Plena, Singer, & Goldbeck, 2011), withdrawal/isolation from friends and family, physical illness or injury (Christiansen & Stenager, 2009;Riala, Ilomaki, Hakko, & Rasanen, 2011), sexual or other abuse (Weich, Patterson, Shaw, & Stewart-Brown, 2009), drug and alcohol misuse/dependency (Wilcox, Conner, & Caine, 2004), depression and anxiety (Capron, Gonzalez, Parent, Zvolensky, & Schmidt, 2012;Gibbs et al, 2009;Phillips, 2010), and lack of disclosure of HIV status and ceasing ART (Sherr et al, 2008). Interpersonal risk factors for suicidal ideation and behavior include: relationship breakups and domestic violence (Devries et al, 2011), homelessness, torture or trauma survival, reluctance to seek help (Francis, Pirkis, Dunt, Blood, & Davis, 2002), financial difficulties (McNamara, 2013), and managing negative family and community responses to same sex attraction (Pitts, Smith, Mitchell, & Patel, 2006;Ryan, Huebner, Diaz, & Sanchez, 2009).…”

Developmental trauma disorder: pros and cons of including formal criteria in the psychiatric diagnostic systems

“…Non-suicidal self-injury [50] and suicidal behavior [51,52] constitute the symptoms most strongly linked with traumatization, particularly sexual abuse. More than 80% of patients with a history of self-injury report traumatic events in their earlier lives [53].…”