Article2016

The association between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and suicide attempts in a population‐based study

Esme Fuller‐Thomson · Stephanie L. Baird · Reshma Dhrodia · Sarah Brennenstuhl

183 citations0/0 files storedChild Care Health and Development

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Suicide and Self-Harm Studies Child Abuse and Trauma Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To further our understanding of the relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and suicidal behaviour, this study investigates the association between three types of ACEs and lifetime suicide attempts, while considering potential gender-specific and mediating effects. METHODS: Data were obtained from the 2012 Canadian Community Health Survey-Mental Health (CCHS-MH), a cross-sectional, population-based survey comprised of respondents aged 18 or older who provided self-reported data on past experiences of suicide attempts, as well as childhood sexual abuse (CSA), childhood physical abuse (CPA) and parental domestic violence (PDV) (n = 22 559). After testing for ACE by gender interactions, we estimated the odds of lifetime suicide attempts for each ACE and then investigated whether depression, anxiety, substance abuse and chronic pain acted as mediators of the relationship. RESULTS: The odds of suicide attempts are significantly higher among those with a history of CPA (OR = 3.29; 99.9% CI 2.33-4.64), CSA (OR = 4.42; 99.9% CI 3.14-6.23) or PDV (OR = 2.52; 99.9% CI 1.69-3.76), when ACEs are mutually adjusted. There is little evidence that gender acts as a moderator; however, depression, anxiety, substance abuse and chronic pain appear to partially mediate the associations. Depression alone accounts for about a quarter of the associations with CSA and CPA. CONCLUSIONS: Mental health factors and chronic pain appear only to partially mediate relationships between ACEs and lifetime suicide attempts. Future research should look at other pathways with the goal of developing multi-level interventions.

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References

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Cited by

2018How Equity‐Oriented Health Care Affects Health: Key Mechanisms and Implications for Primary Health Care Practice and Policy 2023Adverse childhood experiences, mental health, and social functioning: A scoping review of the literature 2018Early life sexual abuse is associated with increased suicide attempts: An update meta-analysis 2022Depression and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescents 2017The Role of Mindfulness in Reducing the Adverse Effects of Childhood Stress and Trauma

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